The New World
by Blackheart214
Summary: AU fic. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE! Ichigo has an important role to play in the Vizard tribe. His actions will determine the future of the Vizard tribe, the Arrancar tribe, and the new settlers arriving to the New World. IchiRuki, and maybe a few other pairings.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:**** When the Kurosaki children lose their father to the Arrancar Indian tribe, the Vizards bring them into their tribe and raise them as one of their own. The spirits have prophesized that Ichigo has a vital role to play for the future of the village. What will his role be? Does it have anything to do with the Arrancars? And does it have anything to do with the new settlers arriving to the New World?**

**In celebration of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, I decided that I would finally begin writing this story. **

**Author's Note:** **this story takes place in the early sixteen hundreds, right around the time the English began colonizing in America, which at the time was known as the New World.**

**Warning~ this story will contain scenes of violence, murder, blood, possible sexual themes, and character death. I won't tell you who, but I ask that you please not hate me for who I may or may not kill off in this story. Some parts of this story may also be historically inaccurate. I never was able to pay attention in history class.**

**DISCLAIMER~ Bleach and everything pertaining to it is the sole property of Tite Kubo**

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A cool summer breeze blew through the forest. The sunlight dabbled the lush green foliage and the birds chirped in the serene, picturesque woodland area. The unhurried rhythm of horse's hoof beats and the easy rumbling of the wagon the beast pulled added rather than detracted from the peaceful scene. The driver of the wagon looked on at the beautiful land around him. The sight put on smile on Isshin Kurosaki's face. The untamed beauty of this forest was uncommon in England. The New World seemed to be a place of uncharted beauty. His son, Ichigo, however, did not care much for the scenery as he sat in the wagon, looking at the road ahead with a scowl while his two daughters, five year old Karin and Yuzu, slept peacefully in the back of the wagon.

"When are we going to get there dad?" he whined. Isshin could only smile. He couldn't be upset with his son for being impatient; he was only eight after all. They had been traveling since early morning and it was quite a ways to their destination.

"It won't be too long now, Ichigo. We're almost there, just relax," Isshin said, calmly. Ichigo could only groan and continue to scowl.

"Where are we going anyway?"

"I told you Ichigo. We're going to deliver this medicine to our friends."

"You mean the Chief Hirako?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"That's right."

Isshin was a doctor. He once resided in England with his late wife Masaki, who passed away due to illness. The loss of his wife hit him hard, but before she died, she made Isshin promise to keep smiling for their children. Ichigo was only six when his mother died and he missed her terribly. Isshin decided to leave England for the New World since Masaki had always talked about wanting to go there and he thought it might help his son get over his mother's passing. They had been living in a small village in the New World for two years now but, Ichigo still seemed bitter about losing his mother. Some of his animosity was directed at his father who was supposed to be a doctor but was still unable to keep his mother alive. That's not to say Ichigo hated his father; he still wished his father could have done something.

After coming to the New World, Isshin came across a Native Indian tribe, the Vizards, while gathering herbs for medicine out in the woods. At first the Vizards seemed hostile to the intruder in their land but after learning that Isshin was a doctor they soon became friends. Their chief Shinji Hirako and his tribe taught Isshin their language and Isshin taught the Vizards English. He also brought medicine to them every month and they provided him clothing and food. The children, at first, were frightened by the Vizards because they wore scary masks made of bone. The family got used to them. After a while, Ichigo even managed form a close friendship with one of them; a female named Lisa Yadomaru.

After what seemed like forever to Ichigo, they finally came to the Vizard village.

Despite the horrifying appearances of the masks they wore, the Vizards were a peaceful tribe. The masks were only worn in case of fighting or rituals, but the Vizards always kept the masks somewhere on their person at all times. The tribe wore simple clothing made of animal skins. Some of the males were shirtless and very few wore protection on their feet. The tribe mainly thrived on their harvest and the river that flowed beside their village and only occasionally hunted animals as a means of survival.

The Vizards gave Isshin's wagon a wide berth, some even stopping what they were doing to wave and greet him. Ichigo watched the Vizards from his seat in the wagon. Some were carrying crops from the field back to the village, while others were fishing in the river by the village. The children broke off their play and started chasing after the wagon with excitement.

Isshin halted the horse in the center of the village. He pulled his son out of the wagon and gently awoke his two daughters before taking them out of the wagon. The chief, Shinji Hirako came out of his tent to greet them. He wore a headdress with two feathers that were red at the tips, indicating his status as chief. He also wore a cloak made of deer skin along with a pair of deer skin trousers.

"Osiyo, Isshin Kurosaki," Shinji greeted with his wide grin. Isshin smiled and gave Shinji a friendly hug.

"Hello my friend," he said with a smile. "How are your people these days?"

"All is well," Shinji said. "The child is healthy thanks to you," he stated, referring to the baby Isshin helped deliver the month before. The village had named the infant Hiyori.

"That is good to hear. I have more medicine for you," Isshin said, leading the chief to the back of his wagon.

"Osiyo, young Ichigo," Shinji said as he passed the young boy who merely smiled and nodded his head. "And to you as well, little ones," he said to Karin and Yuzu who waved in greeting.

"Ichigo why don't you take your sisters and have some fun around the village while Chief Hirako and I unload the medicine," Isshin suggested.

"Alright. Chief Hirako, where's Lisa?" the boy asked.

"I believe she is by the river," he said pointing towards the back of the village. "And little ones, Hachigen is over there," he said, pointing to a tall and stout man that was sitting in front of fire performing tricks for the village children. The girls smiled and ran towards the village mystic who smiled at them and began performing tricks like turning wisps of smoke into animals.

Ichigo found Lisa sitting by the river. She was making a necklace out of colored stones and a burgundy colored thread.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked, peeking over her shoulder. Lisa smiled at the sound of his voice and held the necklace up for him to see. "Who did you make it for?"

"You," she answered with a smile causing Ichigo to blush.

"M-Me?!" he asked, surprised.

Lisa nodded and tied the necklace around his neck. Ichigo looked it over and noticed a symbol on the center stone.

"What does it mean?" he asked, pointing to it.

"_Unali, _it means friend," she said with a smile. Ichigo smiled back and looked at the necklace fondly. He didn't have many friends back in his village at home because most of the other children his age were afraid of him because of his constant skowling. Lisa was his first real friend since he came to the New World and he was thankful for her gift. Thankful enough to throw his arms around her in a hug, which she gladly returned.

"Ichigo!" came the voice of Yuzu from behind him. She and Karin came running towards him excitedly, holding something in their hands.

"Look what Hachigen gave us," Yuzu said, showing her brother a shiny yellow spinel. Karin had the same only hers was deep blue color.

"He said the color is a reflection of our spirit," Karin explained.

"He gave us one for you too," Yuzu stated holding up another spinel; this one was black but it had a faint tint of crimson to it. Ichigo took the crystal and stared at it in awe before placing it in his pocket.

"Look what Lisa gave me," he said pointing to his necklace. The two girls stared at it, Yuzu being the more captivated of the two.

"It's so pretty," she said with a bright smile getting closer and touching the center stone. "What does this mean?" she asked pointing to the symbol.

"It means friend," Ichigo answered.

"I want one. Lisa can I have a necklace too?" Yuzu asked with a sweet smiled that the older girl just couldn't say no to.

"Of course. I will make one and give it to you the next to come to visit us," she said with a smile. Yuzu ran up to her and hugged her. Lisa hugged her back and patted her head.

The Kurosaki children spent the rest of the day playing around the village. The played a ball game created by the Vizards with young Mashiro; watched Kensei Muguruma catch fish in the river with a spear; and listened to a song played by Rojuro Otoribashi accompanied by a dance from Love Aikawa.

It was late afternoon when Isshin came looking for them and told them it was time to head back home. The children were saddened when they were told but Isshin promised they would come back soon and that perked them up somewhat.

After he helped his children into the wagon, along with the various pelts, quilts, and baskets of food the Vizards gave him as thanks for the medicine, he bid Chief Hirako goodbye and left the village.

The ride back was full of laughter from Karin and Yuzu, who were playing with there spinels and holding them up to the sun until clouds blocked the light. Ichigo was playing with the center stone on his necklace as he sat next to his father at the front of the wagon.

"What do you have there, son?" Isshin asked after watching Ichigo play with the necklace for a while.

"It's a present from Lisa," he answered with a smile. "The stone says "friend"."

"Really? Lisa must really like you to have made such a gift for you Ichigo."

"And that's not all," he said as he rummaged through his pocket and pulled out the spinel. "Hachigen gave me this," he said, showing the spinel to his father.

"Hmm… strange color for a stone," he said as he examined it.

"Hachigen said that it's a reflection of our spirit," Ichigo explained. "I just hope the color doesn't mean anything bad."

"Don't worry, my boy. Your spirit is young and it has much growing to do," Isshin said. "Give it time and I'm sure that stone will change it's color," he said with a grin. Ichigo couldn't help but smile back and looked at the spinel once more, curious as to how his spirit would grow.

"Papa, it looks like it's going to rain," Yuzu said pointing to the clouds which grew a bit darker.

"Don't worry, my little one. We'll be home soon," Isshin said.

The rain came a few minutes later and the family was still a little more than an hour from their village. Isshin told his children to cover up with blankets he brought with them and quickened the pace of his horse.

After Ichigo placed the blanket over his head, he could have sworn he saw a something moving in the tress next to them. When he looked again, there was nothing so he figured it must have been his imagination. He then heard a twig snapping nearby and figured it must have been an animal. He hoped it wasn't a wolf or anything dangerous. Isshin noticed as well and snapped the reigns to make his horse move down the path a little bit faster.

Despite the rain, Isshin noticed things seemed a bit too quiet. There were sounds of twigs snapping here and there; too many to be an animal and the sounds seemed to be following the carriage. The only thing that could be heard was the pitter-patter of the rain and the horse's hoof beats. There was also this inescapable feeling like they were being watched… or stalked.

There was suddenly a war cry and at least five figures came running out of the trees and bushes. The figures were definitely human and Isshin had noticed they were wearing animal skins. They were also carrying primitive weapons. However, the most distinctive thing about these strange people were the white pieces of bone that sat on different parts of their heads.

Isshin's horse came to startling halt and reared back in fright. One of the figures- all five were male- thrust a spear into the horse. It gave a painful cry before falling on it's side, taking the wagon and it's occupants with it and it's eyes soon became lifeless. Another figure pulled out a tomahawk made of wood and sharp bone. It threw the deadly weapon at Isshin who, luckily, was able to move his head out of the way and the weapon embedded itself in the ground. Isshin looked to his children who were huddled together and cowering in fear. His first instinct being to protect his children, Isshin grabbed the flintlock rifle he kept in the wagon and fired at one of the offenders, effectively ending his life.

"Ichigo, get Karin and Yuzu away from here!" Isshin ordered, now swinging the useless rifle around to keep the attackers away, having wasted the gun's only shot. Ichigo looked at his father in confusion and fear, while Karin and Yuzu clung to their older brother, tears flowing freely from their eyes.

"B-but father…" Ichigo stuttered.

"I'll be fine," Isshin said doing his best to be calm for his son. "I need you to be man and take care of your sisters now."

"I'm not leaving you! I don't want you to die!" Ichigo cried.

"ICHIGO!" Isshin shouted, ceasing his son's crying. "I promise I'll be fine! Now take your sisters and run! NOW!"

Ichigo hesitated at first but quickly nodded and got his sisters standing and ran away from the wagon with them as fast as he could. One of the attackers saw them and chased after them.

"No!" Isshin shouted and chased after them but was blocked by one the remaining marauders.

Ichigo ran along the path with his sisters. Karin seemed to be able to pull her own weight despite the situation, but Yuzu was hysterical and was practically being dragged. The attacker was hot on their heels and Ichigo decided to run through the woods with his sisters, trying to use the trees to slow their pursuer down. It proved to be ineffective, as the man was quite adept at running through the terrain. Karin picked up a rock off the ground and threw it the man. The stone hit the man on the piece of bone that covered his forehead, disorienting him and giving the children time to get further away.

They continued to run, gaining quite a bit of distance, until Yuzu tripped over a root protruding out of the ground and fell face first into the mud. Ichigo and Karin stopped running to help but found that she had cut her leg on the root and could only hobble on one leg. To make maters worse, their pursuer finally caught up to them. He stalked them like a predator, slowly raising a sharp knife made of stone above his head. The children were scared to death and Yuzu and Karin had clung to Ichigo and closed their eyes, while Ichigo continued to look on in fear. The man growled and raised his knife higher before bringing it down with all his might. Ichigo waited for the pain but it never came. Instead he heard a whistling sound above his head and slowly cracked one eye open. The man in front of him stood stock still staring at a piece of wood sticking out of his chest. When Ichigo saw the feathers at the end, he realized it was an arrow. Another whistle was heard and second arrow flew right above Ichigo and into the man's head, right between his eyes. The force of the impact caused him to fall backwards, dead. Ichigo looked on at the corpse, not really sure if it was dead or not. He heard footsteps behind him and quickly turned around, afraid more had shown up. He felt great relief when he saw men wearing full bone masks carrying bows and arrows. The masks had assured Ichigo that they were Vizards.

"Young Ichigo?" one of them asked, approaching the children. Ichigo recognized the voice, even though it was muffled by the mask.

"Kensei?" Ichigo asked. The Vizard removed his mask to reveal that it was Kensei Muguruma.

"What are you doing out here? Where's your father?" Kensei asked, concerned that the three children were alone in the woods with their father no where in sight.

"He's back there," Ichigo said, pointing back the way they came. "We were attacked! Please, you have to help him!" Ichigo begged.

"Calm yourself little one," Kensei said, kneeling down and placing a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "We will find your father."

"Kensei… he is an Arrancar," Rojuro stated, as he looked over the body. Kensei tensed up and looked at Love.

"Love, bring the children back to the village. Rojuro and I will look for Isshin." Love nodded and then Kensei and Rojuro took off.

"Come children," Love ordered as he picked up Yuzu and quickly led the children back to the village.

When they got back to the village Shinji was surprised to see Love with Isshin's children looking like they had been rolling around in the mud.

"Chief Hirako!" Ichigo shouted as he ran toward the Vizard leader.

"Ichigo? What happened to you? Where is your father?" he asked as he kneeled down in front of the boy, who was ready to burst into tears.

"Chief Hirako, they were attack by Arrancars," Love stated.

"What?!"

"Kensei and Rojuro went to look for Isshin. The children were chased by one of them. We arrived just in time."

"Well done, Love. You saved their lives. Bring them to my hut and find Lisa," Shinji ordered.

"Little Yuzu is injured," Love informed as he carried the girl into the hut.

"I will have Hachigen look at her."

"What about my father?" Ichigo asked desperately.

"Don't worry Ichigo, we will find him."

The children had been given a bath by Lisa and Hachigen had applied some of Isshin's medicine to Yuzu's wound. It had been over an hour since Isshin had told them to run and Ichigo was getting worried. He and his sisters had been given some skins to wear until their father returned. He was pacing back in forth in Chief Hirako's hut, waiting to see his father enter the village. The rain had not ceased, as if it were some ill omen.

Finally Ichigo saw his father's wagon being pulled into the village by Rojuro and Kensei. He felt his hear begin to race. They had found his father.

Shinji ran over to Rojuro, hoping for good news.

"Thank the spirits you've returned. The children were worried sick. Did you find Isshin?"

Rojuro's face fell and he shook his head.

"I am sorry Chief. We found him but…"Rojuro turned his head towards the carriage. Shinji looked from Rojuro to the wagon and looked inside. What he saw broke his heart.

Isshin was lying in his wagon, dead. He had been stabbed and bludgeoned. Blood covered most of his body. Shinji hung his head and muttered a prayer for his friend.

"Those poor children," he mumbled sadly.

"Chief Hirako?" came the voice of Ichigo. He was running towards the wagon with Lisa right behind him. Shinji turned to face the boy. "Where's my father? Have you found him?"

Shinji sighed and knelt down in front of the boy and gently placed his hands on his shoulders. "I'm sorry Ichigo… your father is dead," he said barely above a whisper. Ichigo looked at him in shock.

"You're lying. YOU'RE LYING!" he shouted as he pushed passed the Chief. His heart stopped when he saw his father's lifeless body. Ichigo could only stare at the corpse that was once his father and then when the realization hit him, he had lost his mother and now his father. He and his sisters were alone. He broke down into hysterical sobs. Lisa pulled him into a tight embrace and let him cry into her shoulder.

That night, the orphaned Kurosaki children cried themselves to sleep. Karin and Yuzu had taken as bad, if not worse, than Ichigo. Shinji had given them shelter in hut left the children to mourn their father's death.

The grief-stricken chief called a meeting of all the tribe in the village meeting hut. The meeting would be to discuss burial arrangements for Isshin and the fate of his children.

The Vizards sat around the fire with Hachigen to the right of the chief.

"This meeting has been called to decide what is to become of Isshin Kurosaki's kin," he announced. "We will begin the burial tomorrow and he will be given an honorable funeral. As for the children, I cannot, in good conscience, send them away after losing their father."

There were murmurs amongst the villagers. Some agreed that it was not right to just toss the children aside. Others, although they did feel sorry for them, couldn't get passed the fact that the children were outsiders and couldn't stay. Shinji raised his hands and called them all to silence.

"Hachigen, what do you think?" Shinji asked his spiritual advisor.

Hachigen stood up and began chanting as he pulled some powder out of a pouch. He then tossed the powder into the fire. There were wisps of smoke of all colors streaming out of the flames. Hachigen had closed his eyes and took in a deep breath as he attempted to communicate with the spirits. After several minutes he opened his eyes.

"We must allow the children to stay. Especially Ichigo. The spirits have told me that he has a part to play in the future of our village," Hachigen said.

"What do you mean Hachigen?" Shinji asked.

Hachigen tossed more powder into the fire and waved his hands around in the smoke. The smoke turned red and formed the outline of a face. Then it formed striped patterns on one side of the face along with eyes and teeth. The Vizards all gasped when they realized it was a mask. Shinji watched in amazement and then he began to understand.

"Very well. As of tomorrow the Kurosaki's will live amongst us…as Vizards".

**Well, what do you all think? **

**About the Vizards: I've based them off a mixture of the Cherokee and Powhatan Indians, though I used the Cherokee words because I couldn't find a Powhatan dictionary. Most, if not all of you should be aware of who the Cherokees are. As for the Powhatans, they were a tribe that resided in Virgina in an area that would later become Jamestown in the 1600s. Those of you who are Disney fans might know them better as the Indians from "Pocahontas". The Arrancars, on the other hand are based more off of the Apache tribe. It seemed befitting since the Apaches were well-known for their brutality and the Arrancars themselves are definitely some of the most brutal characters in the series.**

**As always, please R&R.**


	2. Chapter 2

**First I would like to apologize for taking so long with this chapter, especially after I said that I would have it done last week on Thanksgiving. The weekend turned out to be busy than I thought with all the Christmas shopping and during the few times I was able to sit down and write this my mind just went blank and I could think of anything. This chapter is also relatively short and doesn't do much but set up ground for the next chapter which should prove more challenging to write so I won't make any promises on it's completion like last time.**

**Well, I'm done rambling. Enjoy the chapter.**

**DISCLAIMER~ Bleach is the "soul" (ha!) property of Tite Kubo. I take no ownership over the series and, as stated before, I claim no solid historical knowledge about the time and place this story takes place.**

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The tranquil forest had been blessed by the beauty of another bright and sunny morning. All across the wood land area, animals were coming out their dens or nests and getting ready to spend another of living in the forest. A large stag had wandered towards a nearby brook for an early morning drink. The animal lowered its head but snapped it back up when it heard a sound of rustling leaves and the snapping of a twig. After taking a few moments to search, the stag decided it was safe enough to drink. It was too distracted to notice the figure crouching, nearly hidden in the underbrush.

A young man was crouching in the brush, a bow in his hand. His target lay only twenty yards away from him. The stag would provide plenty of skin and fur for his sisters for the coming winter. He considered himself lucky the animal hadn't noticed the bright orange hair through the dark foliage he was hiding behind. He pulled an arrow silently out from his quiver then without a sound, nocked the arrow and drew the bowstring back. After taking a few seconds to aim at the target, the stag's heart, he let the arrow fly. The arrow whistled as it zipped towards the stag, embedding itself into its body. It gave a quick pained cry and took off running. It didn't get far, however, as the wound and blood loss made it slow down until it finally collapsed onto its side. The man came out from the brush he was hiding to inspect his prey. Its lifeless eyes told him that the animal was indeed dead.

"It seems the spirits favor your bow, young Ichigo," Kensei said as he appeared from his hiding spot. Ichigo smiled at his friend and fellow Vizard.

"I believe that, thanks to you, it's more skill," Ichigo said. Kensei grinned and gave his young friend a hardy slap on the shoulder.

"Come, help bring it back to the village so that we may tell them of your _skillful_ achievement," Kensei said, as he started tying the stag to a large pole. Ichigo took one end and together they hoisted the poll carrying the animal onto their shoulders and headed back to the village.

Ten years had passed since the murder of their father, leaving Ichigo and his sisters orphaned, and in the care of the Vizard tribe. As Chief Hirako had promised they were made honorary Vizards the day after Isshin's death. Their father was buried on the far side of the river with the other Vizards that had passed. It took Yuzu a while to get over the loss of her father. Karin had decided to be strong for her sister's sake. Ichigo on the other hand, though he didn't look it, seemed to be having the hardest time of the three siblings. Ichigo didn't show any emotion at his father's burial; all his tears were shed the night he died. He looked fine and peaceful on the outside, but his sisters could see that Ichigo was hurting. He immediately decided to join Chief Hirako's warriors after the burial was concluded. Everyone saw this as his first steps towards revenge against the Arrancars, and feared that Ichigo may compromise the tribe for his own selfish desires. Chief Hirako had allowed him to become a warrior but he was forbidden to entering the Arrancars land, and just like any other Vizard who broke the laws, he would be punished severely. It was Karin and Yuzu that kept Ichigo from seeking his revenge. The girls had lost their mother and father; they couldn't bare to lose their brother as well.

So for ten years, Ichigo resisted his burning desire for vengeance. It hadn't abated, but he kept his desires in check, if only for his sisters. He was unable to become a full warrior without a mask. Kensei had taken Ichigo under his wing for the training needed to become a full warrior. Under Kensei's tutelage, Ichigo had proven himself as an effective tracker, hunter, and warrior. All that was missing was a mask of his very own.

Yuzu had lived out the last ten years as most women of the tribe had. Karin had taken to becoming a warrior, although a woman becoming one Chief Hirako's warriors was uncommon, but still possible since the Vizards didn't discriminate against women and gave them the same rights as the men. Ichigo found it rather humorous that he had one sister that worked in the fields gathering the harvest and another one out in the forest and plains hunting for food.

The village itself had undergone little change. Many of the villagers had accepted the addition of the Kurosaki children to their tribe, while few still remained hesitant to trust the outsiders. Regardless of the slight animosity, the Kurosaki's had the approval of the chief and were expected to be treated as if they were born Vizards.

Ichigo and Kensei arrived at the village and received many appraising stares and comments for their catch. They dropped the stag in front of Kensei's hut so he could skin it later. Ichigo was about to leave to find his sister's when a fist collided with his face.

"I can't believe you left without me again!" shouted Hiyori Sarugaki.

"That hurts you little brat!" Ichigo shouted back as he held his aching nose.

"Good! I told you I was going to come and you left anyway!" she snapped before kicking him in the shin causing Ichigo to hop on one foot and clutch his bruised limb.

Hiyori was known as the village brat. She didn't take a liking to weaving or doll making like most girls her age did. Hiyori, instead, found joy in weapon crafting and fist fighting. Many in the village looked down on her for the way she acted, but she paid them no mind. She, like Karin, wanted to become a warrior. Unlike Karin, she did not have the patience to train properly.

"Hiyori, you're too young to join in hunting parties," Kensei stated.

"But I can do it. I'm just as good as this village idiot," she said pointing towards Ichigo who had finally stopped limping.

"If Chief Hirako finds you to be suitable enough to be a warrior, then he will make you one when you're old enough. Until then stay within the village," Kensei ordered. Hiyori glared at him and ran off in a huff.

"She's not wrong you know," Ichigo said to Kensei. "She's got a real fighter's spirit."

"I know, but she's also brash and easily angered," Kensei stated. "Those traits keep her from attaining what she wants. Always remember Ichigo, anger is not strength, and can lead to no victory."

Ichigo knew Kensei's words were not meant for Hiyori only. He was speaking of Ichigo's anger; the anger he felt since the day his father was murdered. He looked at Kensei and nodded.

"Good. You can go now Ichigo, I'll take care of this," he said referring to the stag. Ichigo nodded once more and took off to find his sisters.

The Kurosaki sisters were at their hut. Yuzu was inside getting lunch ready; her cooking skills were something Lisa had taught her. Karin was behind the hut, throwing knives at a stump.

"You throw like a girl," Ichigo said teasingly. Karin lost her concentration and her knife landed in the dirt near the stump. Karin and turned to scowl at him but then let out a sigh before forming a small smile.

"How was the hunt?" she asked curiously.

"You and Yuzu will definitely be warm this winter," Ichigo said proudly as he removed his quiver and bow and set on the ground beside the hut. "And the tribe will have good meat for the winter." Karin only nodded before taking a seat on the ground

"I wish I could have gone…" she mused.

"Kensei and I just had this conversation with Hiyori," Ichigo said as he took a seat beside her.

"There is a distinctive difference between a conversation and a verbal lashing accompanied by beatings," Karin said with a light laugh and bringing a grin to her brother's face.

"You know I believe that you're fully capable of taking care of yourself, as does the chief, but we just want you to be safe, Hiyori as well," Ichigo said with seriousness in his voice. "The Arrancars have and will most likely always harbor hatred for us. If they were to see you or Hiyori out there, they wouldn't hold back because you're girls or because you're young. I don't want to lose you or Yuzu like we lost father."

Karin said nothing, but moved closer to her brother and wrapped her arms around him.

"You won't lose us, I promise," she said softly, believing that words were all it took to make it true.

Ichigo couldn't tell if he believed it or not, or rather allow himself to believe it. The strength he gained over the past ten years was all born from the need to protect his sisters and the fear of losing them. As long as he believed that they were still in danger he would keep getting stronger until not even the entire Arrancar tribe could stop him.

The tender moment ceased when they heard Yuzu calling for them for lunch. The two siblings went into their hut to eat and enjoy each other's company. They spent the entire afternoon together until a guest arrived at their hut. The guest turned out to be Rojuro.

"How are you young Ichigo?" the man asked pleasantly.

"I'm well my friend. What can I do for you today?"

"Chief Hirako asked me to come get you. He has something important he'd like to discuss with you," Rojuro stated. "Your sisters are welcome to join as well." Ichigo raised a brow at this.

"What is it?" he asked curiously. Chief Hirako rarely called to discuss something with Ichigo. He usually came to Ichigo personally to have simple conversations with, but it was hardly ever anything too serious.

"Go and see him. You'll be glad you did," Rojuro said with a sly smile before leaving a bewildered Ichigo.

Ichigo and his sisters left their hut and headed towards the chief's living quaters. They were surprised to see most of the villagers outside the hut. The made their way through the crowd until they reached Shinji, who greeted them with a smile.

"Hello my young friends."

"It's good to see you Chief Hirako, but what is this about?" Ichigo asked slightly confused. Shinji only smiled and placed a hand Ichigo's shoulder.

"Walk with me Ichigo," he said as he led him past the crowd and towards Hachigen's hut. When they finally reached their destination, Shinji stopped outside the hut and face Ichigo.

"My friend, you have come a long way. We took you in after the horrible murder of your father and gave you a new life. We made you one of us and called you brother… now we will make it final," Shinji said with a proud smile. "Today is the day you receive your final rite of passage into our village and earn your mask."

Ichigo's eyes widened as did his sister's who followed close to their brother as they feared what was going to happen. There were murmurs among the villagers about what the chief had said and many looked at Ichigo with proud looks and some even shouted their congratulations until the Shinji called them all to silence. He pulled back the flap that led into Hachigen's hut and ushered Ichigo inside. Ichigo gave his sisters a hug before walking into the hut.

Inside sat Hachigen behind a fire with his mask on. Ichigo sat across from him in front of the fire and waited for his instructions.

"Welcome, Ichigo. I trust you know why you are here." Ichigo nodded in the affirmative. "Before we can give you your mask you must complete an important task. The mask is symbol. A symbol that you have become one with your guardian spirit. I will send you to the spirit world, where you attempt to meet this spirit, but this will be a far from easy task Ichigo," he warned. "Before you can meet your spirit, you must confront the darkness within your heart. This darkness will do whatever it can to stop you from meeting your spirit. If you are not strong enough to beat it back it will drive you mad, destroy your mind and possibly kill you," the old mystic stated grimly. "Are you ready?"

Ichigo hesitated for only a second before looking at Hachigen with raw determination and resolve. He nodded his consent for Hachigen to begin and the old man nodded back.

Hachigen began chanting and tossing various colored powders into the fire. Wisps of many different colored smoke began to rise and fill the hut and flow towards Ichigo. They circled his body like serpents and until they complete covered him. He felt light headed and his vision was going blurry. The last thing he heard was Hachigen's voice before the world around him went black.

* * *

**Next chapter: Ichigo's journey through the spirit world. There he will meet two very important people. I think you can already guess who they are.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**R&R please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Finally I'm back! I'm so sorry everyone. I got caught up in Christmas shopping and trying to pick out gifts for everyone. Also, my college is run by humbugs and made me take finals for the past two weeks. Who the hell makes you take finals during the holidays?! Thankfully, it's all over and I can get back to writing and juggling this story and Guardian Spirit.**

**Anyway, on with the story!**

**I hope everyone had a Happy Holidays!**

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes, feeling like he had just awoken from a long slumber. When his vision cleared, he noticed that instead of the leathery ceiling of his hut that he was so use to seeing after waking, he saw the sky. He snapped up to see what was going on. He saw trees and then he realized that he wasn't in his hut. Upon further inspection, he didn't even seem to be in the village. His surroundings were that of a forest that he didn't recognize as the forest surrounding the village. He stood up and got a better view of his surroundings.

The forest was made up of tall trees. Upon further inspection, closer, the trees were identical to each other. The ground seemed unnaturally flat. He noticed in this strange forest there was no foliage or undergrowth, and there was no sign of any animal life. The wooded area was actually quite clean and seemed to go on for miles.

"Hello?" Ichigo called out only to hear his own echo. "Anyone here?" Again, only an echo.

Once he decided that standing around was going to get him nowhere, he started walking. It only took him five minutes of walking through the forest and seeing the same trees over and over again before Ichigo started getting frustrated. There was no sign of life anywhere.

Then he noticed something. He saw something black flowing behind a tree like a shadow. As soon as he made a move towards it, it vanished. He ran to the tree he saw the shadow-like creature appear behind, but it was no where to be seen. Just when he was about to believe he was only seeing things, he saw the shadow for a second time behind another tree. He followed it and again it vanished only to reappear behind another tree. Ichigo growled in frustration and followed the shadow wherever it went.

Eventually, after several minutes of chasing the shadow, he found himself in a clearing. In the center of the clearing was a small, narrow, tree stump. Ichigo moved closer to it, growing more curious with each second. He stopped when he saw what looked like a black flame with a crimson tint spread above the stump. Ichigo watched in curiosity as the flame spread until it was slightly larger than him. The head of a man with long unkempt black hair, spectacles, and a rough beard slowly appeared out of the top of the flame, while feet came from the bottom to stand on the stump causing Ichigo to jump back in shock. The man stared down at Ichigo with an impassive face, while the black flame covered him like a cloak that fluttered in a light breeze.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Ichigo asked, slight fearful of the man who stood before him.

"Do you not remember?" the spirit asked in a deep voice. "You were sent here to be tested."

"Tested? For wha-" Ichigo stopped short once he remembered. He was in the spirit world. Hachigen had sent him there to undergo a test before earning his mask. He was sent here to find his guardian spirit.

"Are you the one I'm looking for?" The spirit nodded.

"My name is Zangetsu."

"Does this mean I have passed the test?" Ichigo asked with a hopeful smile.

"No. Finding me was only part of the test," Zangetsu explained. "Your real test begins… now."

As soon as Zangetsu finished speaking, a flash of white zipped passed Ichigo, leaving a gash in his arm. Before Ichigo could get a look at what had attacked him, it vanished back into the surrounding trees. Ichigo inspected the cut on his arm. It wasn't too deep. He looked back to Zangetsu for an answer, but before he could get one, he felt a sharp, burning pain in his back. He looked backwards just in time to see the flash of white disappear into the trees again. Ichigo could feel the blood flow down his back. He then started to wonder; if this was the spirit world, how was he able to feel pain? Zangetsu seemed to know where his thoughts were.

"Your mind is what is receiving damage Ichigo. If you can not pass this test, your mind will be destroyed," Zangetsu stated grimly.

"How can I fight back if this thing won't show itself?!" Ichigo shouted angrily. There was a sound of maniacal laughter that filled the area.

"So you want me to show myself?" came a voice that made Ichigo shiver. The really horrifying thing was that this voice sounded similar to his own.

"Where are you?" Ichigo shouted looking around frantically for a sign of his assailant.

"Behind you," came the voice. Ichigo turned to face the assailant and was both shocked and horrified at what he saw.

Standing in front of Ichigo was Ichigo! This Ichigo was bone white and even the hair was white. His face seemed to be set in a everlasting grin that made Ichigo shiver. The most frightening thing about this Ichigo was his eyes. Those golden irises surrounded by pitch black sclera seemed to bore right into Ichigo's soul.

"What is this?" Ichigo demanded, fear evident in his voice.

"This is the darkness that lies within your heart, Ichigo," Zangetsu stated from his perch on the stump. "If you can't learn to control it, it will destroy you."

"Quite easily," the white Ichigo said with a twisted grin and charged at Ichigo.

The real Ichigo found himself struggling to avoid furious blows from the white double. The doppelganger seemed to be enjoying this immensely; his maniacal laughter ringing through the perfect forest.

"Is this the best you can do?" the white Ichigo asked as he continued his onslaught. "It's no wonder you father died. Look at the weak son he raised!"

"I was just a child!" Ichigo shouted, the comment struck painfully deep.

"The Arrancar _baptize_ their children in battle!" the double replied after knocking Ichigo onto his back with a hard kick.

"I didn't have any training," Ichigo shouted back, trying to defend himself, and trying not to let the white one get under his skin.

"Your father never fought a day in life, but he still put up a fight!" the double said before sending a punch towards Ichigo's head. Ichigo managed to roll out of the way and saw the double create a small crater in the ground. "You ran away!"

"I had to! I had to protect my sisters!" Ichigo shouted and yet again, his words seemed hollow.

"And look what happened! They still almost got killed!" the white Ichigo said walking closer to Ichigo, pulling out a tomahawk with a sharp white stone serving as a blade, and black feathers attached to the handle.

"Admit it! You ran because you were scared," he said, inching closer like a wolf stalking its prey.

"N-No!" Ichigo stammered, beads of sweat dripping down his face.

"You let your father die because you hated him for not saving your mother."

"T-There was nothing he could do! He told me! He wouldn't lie to me," Ichigo said, more to himself than the double. He couldn't believe it… he was doubting himself… he believed the spirit's words.

'_I did run… I was scared… I let my father die!' Ichigo thought._"

"You finally see it don't you?" the white spirit asked with a twisted sense of glee. "You're terrified, even now. You finally acquired the skills to take your revenge and yet you still hide in your village!"

"I can't en-"

"Endanger the village?" the spirit cut him off. "Is that your excuse for you cowardice? You won't take your revenge because you're afraid, but I'm not. I can kill them all for you. All you need to do is disappear and then they will all die!" the double stated happily.

'_He's right,'_ Ichigo thought._ 'I don't have what it takes to exact revenge. I can never avenge my father's death!'_ he thought hopelessly.

'_Do not fill your heart with doubt Ichigo,"_ came the voice of Zangetsu in his head._ "Your darkness will only grow stronger.'_

'_What should I do?'_ Ichigo asked desperately.

'_Look inside your soul… do you really believe you are to blame for your father's death?'_

Ichigo thought about it. He only did as his father told him and he even begged his father to let him stay. He was scared, but he was scared for his father rather than himself. Ichigo knew he wanted to fight, that he wanted to protect his father. It wasn't his fault, it was the Arrancars.

'_Do you desire revenge Ichigo?' _Zangetsu asked, already knowing the answer.

'_They took my father from me,'_ Ichigo thought angrily.

'_Will killing them bring him back? Will it comfort your sisters? Will it comfort you?'_

Ichigo was about to respond, but found that he had no answer. Of course he knew killing the Arrancars wouldn't bring his father back, but he always told himself it would make him feel better. However, thinking about now, Ichigo realized killing the Arrancars would only make him as bad as they were, maybe even worse and in the end, he most likely would never feel better.

'_Do not let your anger control you Ichigo,'_ Zangetsu said.

Ichigo snapped back to reality and saw the tomahawk in the white double's hand coming straight at him. Ichigo narrowed his eyes and grabbed the tomahawk, stopping the spirit from completing it's attack.

"What?" the double asked shocked. "What are you doing?"

"Shut up," Ichigo whispered gravely. "I won't listen to you anymore! I'll cut my own path in life! I don't need you!" Ichigo shouted.

The tomahawk in the doubles hand started to change. The white blade became blackand the feathers became white. The weapon also seemed to burn in the doubles hand and he released it with a cry of pain. Ichigo took full advantage of this opportunity and gripped the tomahawk with both hands before bringing it down hard into the double's skull.

For a moment they just stood there like statues. Ichigo was waiting for the double fall or go limp, but he did something Ichigo least expected… he grinned once more.

"Alright Ichigo, I'll let you win the round, but don't think that means you're rid of me. You can never get rid of me Ichigo. I'll always be there in the depths of your soul, waiting. Your anger and hate will fuel me and make me stronger and then, when the times come… I **will** come back and then you may not be so lucky," the spirit said before slowly vanishing.

Ichigo stared in as the spirit vanished, thinking about what it had said. He knew it was right. Ichigo's anger towards the Arrancar may never abate and the spirit will feed off of his hatred.

"Remember Ichigo," Zangetsu said aloud this time, breaking Ichigo out of his reverie. "Do not let your anger control you. _You_ must control your anger."

"I don't know if I can," Ichigo said solemnly. "I've wanted to kill the ones who murdered my father for so long."

"I will help you," Zangetsu said with a hint of a smile on his face. Ichigo's eyes snapped up to meet the spirit's.

"You… you will?!" Ichigo asked taken aback a bit. "Does this mean I-"

"Yes Ichigo. You have passed your test are now ready to call yourself a Vizard," Zangetsu stated.

Ichigo smiled proudly. Just minutes ago he was ready to give in and let his hate consume and destroy him. Now he stood before his guardian spirit who had just informed him that his test was complete.

"Go now Ichigo and remember, I will always be here to guide you," Zangetsu said before the world vanished in bright flash of white.

****

The villagers stood outside of Hachigen's hut, waiting anxiously to see if Ichigo would come out. It had been several hours since he went inside and the sun had long since set. His sisters were getting worried and Lisa was doing her best to comfort them, but the truth was she was distressed as well. Shinji had been standing in front of the tent with his arms crossed. He too was feeling uneasy.

'_He should have been out by now,'_ he thought. _'I hope the worst has not happened.'_

After another hour of waiting, Shinji decided it was time to send the villagers back to their homes and pray to the spirits for Ichigo's success. Before he could give the order, however, Hachigen came out of the tent. Everyone stared at him, waiting for him to tell them what had become of Ichigo. Yuzu was on the verge of tears from the suspense and Karin could barely control the urge to run into Hachigen's hut to drag her brother out herself.

"What news Hachigen?" Shinji asked growing anxious from the suspense as well. Hachigen looked out to the village before smiling at everyone. He moved away from the entrance to his tent to let everyone see.

There was a large gasp from each one of the villagers. Out of the hut came a man wearing the same Vizard mask Hachigen had conjured out of the smoke ten years ago when it was decided the Kurosakis would live in the village. The mask was white like the other mask the Vizards wore and was shaped like a normal human face with three red streaks covering the left side. All it took was the bright orange hair for the villagers to recognize who it was. Then there was cheering. Ichigo removed the mask and looked out at his people. He was finally one of them. His sisters came running towards him and practically tackled him to the ground. Yuzu's tears were now tears of joy and Karin was fighting back her own tears. Lisa joined and gave him a hug as well. Shinji looked on proudly and place a hand on Ichigo's shoulder.

"Your father would be proud of you," he said with a grin. Ichigo grinned back and nodded.

Shinji then ordered for a feast to be held in Ichigo's honor. The celebration went on well into the wee hours of the early morning before everyone returned to their homes.

Ichigo carried a sleeping Yuzu into their hut and laid her down on her cot. He pulled the covers over her and let her sleep. Karin was about to collapse on her feet until Ichigo had helped her lie down in her cot. Ichigo was about to lay in his own cot when he remembered something. He reached into a pouch and pulled out the spinel he had been given ten years ago. He was shocked to see that it was no longer glowing black but their was a tint of silver in it's center. He smiled when he realized why it had changed. His soul had certainly grown today.

"Just like you said… father."

* * *

**Finally that part of the of the story is over. Now I can bring in the other characters and start making a path to the IchiRukiness.**

**Thanks for reading and again Happy Holidays!**

**Don't be a Grinch! Leave a review please.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone I'm back with a new update for this story finally. It seems college is not a big a distraction from my work as I first feared, but then again it has only been a week so who knows how hard it will get. Still, I was surprised that I managed to finish this as quickly as I did. I spent at least an hour a day writing and words just seem to flow through my finger tips and onto the keyboard. Let's hope I can keep this up between college, job hunting, and going for my license. Now that I've bored you with my life, onto the story.**

**DISCLAIMER~ Bleach belongs to Kubo taichou. I own one copy of the manga and it's only the first volume.**

The transition from winter to spring is truly a thing of beauty. The flowers begin to bud with the promise of splendor that only spring provides. The animals end their hibernation to embrace the warm spring breeze, and the snow and ice melt to water to help nurture the forest growth.

For the Vizards it meant the return of plant life to the forest. The heavy furs and skins they wore to keep warm were discarded in favor of lighter clothing and the fields were once again attended to prepare for the next winter.

Ichigo stepped out of his hut and took in the fresh spring air. Today he was supposed to go into the forest with Lisa to help pick herbs for Hachigen. With his father gone, Ichigo had managed to help the Vizards with their medicines and pass on his knowledge to Hachigen, who already had an understanding of basic remedies. He said goodbye to his sisters and left to meet Lisa at the edge of the village. As he walked through the village, he was met by several of the village children. They laughed and begged him to play with them and some even pleaded with him to tell the story of how he obtained his mask and his journey to the spirit world.

It had been several months since Ichigo obtained his mask and met his guardian spirit, Zangetsu. He hadn't seen the spirit since that day or even the white demon that he knew lay dormant within him. Now, Ichigo was no longer seen as a boy, but a man.

"Brother Ichigo can we see your mask?" one little boy asked. Ichigo smiled at the child and handed him the mask. The children gathered around it in awe. A few had tried it on and ran around with it. Ichigo laughed as he watched them play. When they were finished, they returned the mask to him.

"Brother Ichigo, what was it like in the spirit world?" Another child asked.

"Lonely," Ichigo stated. "It's frightening at first, but I felt much better when I met my guardian spirit."

"Can we see him?" another child asked curiously. Ichigo shrugged.

"I can not say. I have not seen him since I went to the spirit world, but I believe he will appear when he needs to." The children were disappointed, but seemed to understand.

Ichigo then realized what he was supposed to be doing and bid the children farewell before quickly making his way towards the edge of the village. He found Lisa waiting for him with a wicker basket. She turned to him once she heard him approach.

"About time you showed up! Good morning," Lisa called out with a smile.

"Good morning," Ichigo greeted back. "Are you ready?" Lisa nodded and the two of them departed into the forest.

"Hard to believe isn't it?" she asked.

"What is?" Ichigo inquired.

"Ten years ago you were just a little boy that I would play with whenever you came to visit,"Ichigo smiled and nodded.

"I'll admit, I never once believed my life would lead down this sort of path," he stated. "Maybe it really is fate, like Hachigen is always saying..."

"Still, no matter how old you get, to me you're still that little boy I used to play with all those years ago," Lisa looked up to him with a warm smile. Ichigo smiled back.

"And like so many years ago, you'll always be my friend." Nothing more was said between them and they continued on.

The two walked deeper into the forest. Ichigo knew of a spot where plenty of mint grew for Hachigen's herbal teas. While Lisa picked the herbs, Ichigo kept watch for any sign of danger. Ichigo kept vigil, but still managed to appreciate the artistry spring had brought to the forest recently. Lisa was humming a nameless tune as she gathered herbs into her basket. She heard a light rustling in the bush near her. Curiosity brought her close and she moved her hand to pull the leaves out of the way. She let out a startled scream when something large jumped from the bush and on top of her. Lisa's scream had garnered Ichigo's attention he turned to see what was wrong. The bone piece on its face was enough for Ichigo to know that it was an Arrancar.

"Lisa!" he shouted and quickly pulled on his mask as he ran towards them.

He tackled the Arrancar with enough force to throw it off Lisa. The Arrancar growled and quickly stood, its knife at the ready. Ichigo took a moment to look his opponent over. The Arrancar looked to be only a year or two older than Ichigo and was shirtless with a very well toned body, even more so than him. His hair was spiky and light blue, matching the color of his eyes. On the edges his eyes, he wore green face paint. On the right side of his face was half of a jaw bone with two rows of sharp teeth, presumably taken from a wolf or a bear.

The Arrancar spared no words for Ichigo and charged at him, his knife aimed for Ichigo's heart. Ichigo quickly reached for the knife he kept at his side and used it to swat the Arrancar's knife away. Tiny sparks flew as the smooth edge of Ichigo's knife slid against the jagged edge of the Arrancars. The Arrancar didn't let up and continued to slash at Ichigo, who found the ferocity and strength of the Arrancar a little frightening.

Ichigo managed to hold his own, but he could see the difference in their strength. The Arrancar was much more experienced in combat and was fighting with the intent to kill. Every slash and jab that he sent towards Ichigo had immense rage behind it.

Ichigo realized he had to end this quick or else the Arrancar would harm Lisa if he was unable to defeat him. After swatting away another strike, Ichigo rammed his shoulder into the Arrancar's chest and pushed him as hard as he could into a nearby tree. The back of the Arrancar's head slammed into the trunk of the tree, leaving him disoriented. This gave Ichigo an opportunity to send several strong blows to his body. He told himself he didn't want to kill the Arrancar, but deep down he could hear the voice of the white demon, goading him to deliver a killing blow, to feel the blood on his fingers, to revel in the Arrancar's death. Almost subconsciously, he raised his knife, the tip of the blade aimed at the Arrancar's throat. The Arrancar managed to grasp Ichigo's wrist just inches before the blade penetrated his flesh. The two became locked in a battle of sheer will, of which the Arrancar was quickly proving to be victorious. The Arrancar jammed his knee into Ichigo's stomach and swung him around into the tree rather fiercely. The impact knocked Ichigo out of his murderous trance and he stared into the Arrancar's cerulean eyes. He wore a feral yet triumphant grin on his face and raised his knife in the same manner as Ichigo had seconds ago.

"It's over Vizard," the Arrancar said with a hint of glee as he reared the knife back further to deliver a hard stab aimed at Ichigo's heart.

He didn't get the chance to strike because an arrow had whistled towards his hand, effectively knocking the knife out of the Arrancar's hands.

"_That is enough Grimmjow!"_ came a female voice. Everyone turned their heads to see who it was that had ended the fight.

She had long, flowing, teal colored hair that went past her shoulders. A crimson line of face paint stretched across her face just below her eyes. Her body was toned and Ichigo noticed that she was very well endowed in the chest area. Her attire consisted of a deer skin top with long sleeves and a deer skinned skirt that went past her knees. On the top of her head sat the remains of an animal skull, of which appeared to have once belonged to a goat, that identified her as an Arrancar.

Ichigo noticed that she held a bow in her hand and a quiver of arrows strapped to her back. Ichigo realized she had shot the arrow that saved his life. The act of mercy confused him. Ichigo had been under the impression that Arrancars showed no mercy whatsoever and were blood thirsty savages. Why did this Arrancar woman stop one of her own from taking his life?

"_Stop this, Grimmjow!" _she shouted, in what Ichigo recognized as the language of the Arrancar. The Arrancar that had been identified as Grimmjow glowered at the woman.

"_Stay out of this Neliel!" _he shouted back, releasing his hold on Ichigo. _"This Vizard is my prey!"_ The female the Arrancar had called Neliel did not waiver under the glare of the male Arrancar.

"_This is not why we are here Grimmjow,"_ she stated. _"We were ordered to scout the shore for the strange canoes that carry clouds." _

"_I don't care about that!" _Grimmjow snapped._ "We were also ordered to kill any Vizards that would show up."_

"_Only if necessary, Grimmjow,"_ she argued._ "These Vizards will not harm if we leave them be. Now, return to the village," _she ordered.

Grimmjow growled and glared furiously at Neliel with. With a grunt of disappointment he picked up his knife and started to walk away. He stopped to look at Ichigo.

"We'll meet again Vizard and next time, you won't be so lucky!" he stated as he pointed his knife at Ichigo before stomping away.

Lisa didn't know what happened, but she was glad that it appeared to be over. Ichigo made his way over to her and offered her his hand.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Lisa said as she took his hand and stood up.

"I am sorry for Grimmjow's behavior," the female Arrancar stated, using the language of the Vizards this time. "We did not intend to cause you harm," she stated as she walked towards the two. Ichigo was wary; she might try to harm him if he let his guard down.

"Why have you come here? This is our land," Ichigo stated gruffly.

"We were ordered to scout the shore. Something is coming this way," she explained.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"Massive canoes with strange clouds that hover of them carrying hundreds of men and women with pale skin."

Ichigo's eyes widened behind his mask. There were people coming to the New World?! There hadn't been any new settlers for years except for that small village Ichigo once lived in with his family when he was a child.

"How close are they?" he asked.

"When Grimmjow and I left, they were close enough for us to see the pale faces riding on it. They may have reached the shore by now." Ichigo nodded.

"I will go see for myself. Lisa go back to the village and tell Shinji and the others," he ordered.

"But Ichigo-"she argued.

"I'll be fine. The village needs to know about this. Go," he ordered again, gently this time.

She looked at him for a moment before nodding and running off towards the village. Ichigo turned his attention back to the Arrancar.

"Thank you for sparing our lives, but now I must ask: why?" Ichigo had never heard of an Arrancar that didn't miss an opportunity to fight.

"Not all Arrancars share a love for battle," she explained. Her answer seemed strange to Ichigo. Did she mean that there were those among the Arrancar that did not advocate violence. Ichigo noticed her staring at his body and blushed lightly under the mask.

"W-What is it?" She looked up to him with a look of intrigue.

"May I see your face?" Ichigo looked at her curiously. He was about to decline, but since she had yet to show any signs of hostility, he figured there was no harm in showing her his face. He removed his mask and looked to her. She let out a light gasp.

"You're… a pale face?!" she asked in surprise. Ichigo looked down at his mask.

"Not anymore," he said as he placed the mask back on and left towards the shore.

"My name is Neliel," he heard her call out to him. He looked back to her and just stared for a moment. This was truly a strange Arrancar.

"Ichigo." And with that, he was off.

The shore wasn't too far from where Ichigo had left Neliel. He was glad to see that she hadn't attempted to take his life from behind or run into the other one she called Grimmjow. He managed to traverse to the edge of the forest and could the see the water beat against the shore just past that last few yards of trees. He hid behind one of the trees and looked out at the water.

What Neliel had called canoes, were actually ships, big ones. There were three of them in total and from his spot in the forest he could just make out the Union Jack blowing in the breeze at the top of the mast. The ships were extravagant in design, showing that they must have been carrying nobles aboard. Neliel had been right; people were coming to the New World. What this meant for Ichigo, the Vizards, and the Arrancars he could not be certain, but he felt a strong sense of foreboding.

"_Be wary Ichigo," _came a voice. Ichigo recognized it instantly.

"Zangetsu?" he asked looking around. He could have sworn he had seen a glimpse of the dark spirit, but it vanished before he could get a clear look.

"_Events are about to unfold Ichigo. You must be ready."_

Ichigo didn't quite understand the meaning behind the Zangetsu's words, but he decided it would be best to heed the words of his guardian spirit. He gave one last glance at the ships and then returned to the village.

* * *

The crew of the _Susan Constant _was hard at work. The ship had led two other ships, the _Godspeed _and the _Discovery_,to the New World. It had been three months since they left England to expand their homestead to the New World. Needless to say, everyone aboard the ships was glad to see land for the first time in months. On the deck of the ship, a young girl stood at the bow, looking out at the lands before her. She had heard stories of the beauty of these lands, but they paled in comparison to the real thing.

The girl was short and petite with pale skin and mid-length raven hair with a single bang hanging between her eyes. She wore the dress of a noblewoman, pure white that matched her porcelain skin. He violet eyes shone brightly in the mid-morning sun. Any man in his right mind would have said she was beautiful.

"Rukia!" she heard someone call out her name. She recognized the voice and groaned inwardly as she turned to face the man that was walking towards her.

He wore dark brown breeches with leather boots that reached past his shins. His cloth shirt was dark red and tucked in, showing off a rather impressive physique for a young man of his age. Tattoos were visible from behind the neck line of his shirt and some were even visible on the edges of his forehead. His crimson hair was tied back into a spiky ponytail.

"There you are! What are you doing on deck? I thought your brother told you to stay below deck until we arrived," he said as if he were speaking to a rule-breaking child.

"Oh it's fine, Renji!" she groaned. "We'll be at the shore soon anyway. It's not as if I'm in any danger!" she argued. Sometimes her brother worried far too much about her safety. Rukia was not a child and could take care of herself fine; at least that was what she kept trying to tell her brother, Byakuya.

"That's not the issue Rukia," he retorted. "Your brother told me to watch over you and if you disobey his orders _I _am the one who gets in trouble."

"Well you are watching over me now are you not?" she snapped back. "So you should not fear my brother!"

"You are missing the point Rukia!" Renji was growing frustrated. Rukia had a gift for doing this him. "You are supposed to be in your room below deck!"

"He is correct Rukia," came the cold voice of Rukia's brother Byakuya.

Byakuya Kuchiki was noble of Britain, a Duke to be exact. The Kuchiki family had a long had a close relationship with the Royal Family and were considered to be the wealthiest and most prestigious family in England. He always dressed in a manner befitting of his title, wearing only the finest of clothes and always traveled in style, hence the extravagant design of the ship. He was one of the nobles entrusted by King Yamamoto to oversee the settlement into the New World. Normally any of the other nobility of England would have found it appalling to be living amongst the savages, but Byakuya found that he had a duty to the people as a Duke and believed he would be best suited to help lead the colonization.

"I believe I told you to wait in your cabin until we arrived at the shore, Rukia," He stated and then faced Renji. "And I also recall entrusting you to keep watch over her, Mister Abarai." Renji hung his head. He knew he would receive the brunt of the blame for this.

"Please do not be angry with Renji, brother," she pleaded. "I left my cabin without telling him. I just wanted to see what the New World looked like."

"If you were able to easily escape your cabin without his knowledge, then he is clearly incompetent," Byakuya said, giving Renji a cold stare. Rukia glared at her brother.

Byakuya had been always been cold for as long as she could remember. He rarely showed any signs of compassion since the death of his wife and Rukia's elder sister, Hisana. Because of her striking resemblance to Hisana, Byakuya often had trouble even looking at Rukia. The loss of his wife had left Byakuya cold, and bitter.

"Byakuya…" she began, trying to placate him and trying to get Renji out of trouble.

"Return to your cabin Rukia," he ordered sternly. "The New World is not going anywhere and will still be there when we arrive." Rukia looked up to him and pouted her lip before stomping away towards her cabin in a huff.

She hated it when her brother treated her like a child. She was eighteen years old, yet it seemed Byakuya was intent on keeping her from having any sort of independence what so ever. This was a cause of much tension between the two and sometimes made Rukia regard Byakuya with contempt. This was not to say Rukia hated her brother-in-law, in fact she loved him as if they were related by blood, but she often wondered if Byakuya loved her at all or was just tolerating her because of Hisana.

Rukia decided not to dwell on Byakuya and decided to spend her time in her cabin wondering about what the New World would be like. She had heard stories of the so-called "savages" that inhabited the lands and was curious as to just what they were like. There was little excitement for her in England and hoped that this new land would provide something for her to look forward to.

* * *

On one of the nearby ships, _The Discovery,_ a man was also looking at the New World from the window of his cabin with anticipation. Though, his thoughts were not of adventure or the mysteries of the unexplored like most of the people on this journey. His thoughts were of self gain and how this expedition would provide him the means to achieve that self gain.

"Mind sharing your thoughts, Sosuke?" came the voice of the other man in the cabin.

Sosuke Aizen was another man amongst the nobility in England. Though, he was far from the level of the Kuchiki family, he was still nobility, holding the title of Baron. His charm and guile allowed him to make his way into the Kings inner circle. It was that same charm that had convinced the King to allow him to lead this expedition along with a handful of other nobles, stating it would be beneficial for England to colonize the uncharted territory of the New World and expand the Royal Empire. Aizen, however, only cared about how this would benefit him. If Aizen could successfully build a new colony and pave the way for more settlements for England, then the King would no doubt grant him prestige and a greater title within the noble ranks.

Aizen looked away from the window and towards his associate and right hand man Gin Ichimaru.

"Just thinking of what glory lies waiting for me on those shores Gin," he answered with a light smile. Gin only grinned in response as sat back in his arm chair.

"And just how will you rally these people to lead you to rightful place?"

"These simple minded laborers will do anything if there is the promise of riches and wonders involved. Most believe that there is gold to be found here after the Spanish explored part of the New World and found those ancient treasures."

"And what of Byakuya?" Gin inquired curiously. Aizen's smile widened ever so slightly.

"Byakuya will pose no threat to me and when this expedition is deemed a success by Yamamoto, he will finally fall from that pedestal of his, leaving me to claim the glory and prestige that I deserve."

"And if the savages somehow get in the way?" Gin asked once more. Aizen's smile became a smirk.

"How does one deal with rats, Gin?" He asked. Gin only smiled gleefully at this question.

Aizen's gaze shifted back towards the window and at the shores of what would soon become his land. He knew the savages would not allow their land to be taken easily, but that did not cause him to worry. Nothing would stand in the way of his ambitions and those who foolishly tried to do, he would simply eliminate them.

* * *

**Yessss! Now we have nearly all of the key figures in this story. Soon they'll meet and sh** will hit the fan! I think at this point, my favorite part about writing this story is that I can think of horrible ways for Aizen to meet his end. After reading the last few recent chapters of the manga, I can easily say that Aizen is the biggest ass I have ever seen in the world of anime.**

**I actually considered a love triangle between Nel, Ichigo, and Rukia. Maybe I'll put it in the story...**

**I know Grimmjow's mask fragment didn't come from a wolf or a bear, but I've been down to Virginia- which is where this story is taking place- and I can assure you, there are no panthers.**

**Just to let you all know, the treasure Aizen was referring to was the Aztec treasure the Spaniards found when Cortez sailed to what is now known as South America. **

**Thanks for reading now bring reviews to eat for I am hungry!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I know it's been a while since I've updated this story. College has been draining me of time and energy and neither one of my stories have been getting worked on and now there's a third Bleach story I'd like to write! So, I came up with a solution to this problem. I've set up a poll on my profile to let you all decide which story I should focus on more and which one you would like to see more updates for.**

* * *

At Shinji's behest, the entire village assembled inside of the meeting hut. They had been informed of an important development that would have an enormous impact on them, the village, and the land. Ichigo and Lisa stood near Shinji, while Hachigen sat in the corner. Ichigo had told Shinji about what he had seen down at the shore and of the Arrancar scouts he and Lisa had encountered.

"How many of these "ships" did you see, Ichigo?" the chief asked.

"Three," Ichigo responded. "Each one is massive in size and can carry at least one hundred men on them, possibly more."

"These men, what is their purpose for coming here? Are they men like your father?" Shinji inquired.

Ichigo shook his head.

"I do not know for certain, but I do know that they will not see our tribe as my family has," Ichigo said, gravely. He turned and faced the villagers.

"These men see us as savages. They do not approve of the way we live and will possibly try to force us to change our ways," Ichigo stated.

"And what if we refuse?" Kensei asked, looking ready to march down to the shore and fight.

"Then they will treat us with violence," Shinji answered. "This true is not, Ichigo?"

"If they see us a threat, yes."

There were murmurs amongst the villagers. They were frightened, and Ichigo knew that they had every reason to be. It saddened him that he once lived among a society that would see his new family and kinsman as vermin.

Shinji sighed. The chief suddenly felt much older, despite his relatively young age.

"Hachigen, what say you?"

The village mystic stood and waked towards the center, chanting softly as he neared the light fire the kept the hut lit. He stayed silent for several moments as he hummed and took in deep breaths. Finally he spoke.

"The spirits are distressed over the arrival of these strangers," he said. "They fear for the well being of the land and all that dwell within. They tell me of the workings of these men; how they take what is not theirs and have killed all that they have deemed dangerous to them."

Shinji nodded and thought on his advisors words.

"What if we came to them with hopes of peace?" Shinji asked Ichigo.

"I can not say," Ichigo answered. "They may not harm us, but they would most likely force us to live as they do and forsake are old ways."

This angered the villagers and there were shouts of forcing the pale strangers back to where they came from and how they had no right to just come to their land and do as they pleased until Shinji called them all to order.

"What do you suggest Ichigo?" he asked, clearly displeased with the hopelessness of the situation.

"Right now, we can not be certain what they will do," he offered. "The best thing we can do right now is just leave them be until we discover what kind of people they really are."

Shinji nodded. It was not the best plan, but it wasn't like they had much choice. From what Ichigo had told them, these strangers outnumbered them and possessed strange weapons that Isshin had told him about many years ago.

"Besides..." Ichigo continued. "I'm more concerned about how the Arrancars will react to this."

I agree," Kensei stated. "The Arrancars will no doubt seek the blood of the strangers. Their actions could put our tribe in jeopardy."

"What you say is true, Kensei," Shinji said evenly. "It seems we now have two enemies that threaten our people."

"Perhaps not," Ichigo said. Everyone looked to him with a raised brow. "One of the Arrancars Lisa and I had encountered, was different from the others."

"What do you mean?" Shinji asked, curious about this strange news.

"She stopped her comrade from killing me, even when my back was turned," he explained. "I believe that she may be the only one that thinks as we do. She too may have thoughts of peace."

This news surprised the Vizards. Never had they ever heard of an Arrancar that was not interested in violence and bloodshed. Shinji could see where Ichigo was going with this.

"Are you suggesting an alliance with this Arrancar Ichigo?"

"If it will keep any blood from being spilt, then yes," Ichigo replied.

Shinji stayed silent as he contemplated Ichigo's words and the village waited silently for the chief's answer.

"Very well," he finally said. "I will trust your judgment, Ichigo. If you and this Arrancar can prevent her tribe from waging war, we may be able to make peace with these strangers."

Shinji faced the villagers and made his final declaration.

"These visitors must not be approached. Do not go near the shore and do not give them a reason to harm us."

With that, the villagers returned to their homes and went about their business. Before Ichigo could leave, he was stopped by Shinji.

"Ichigo, I want you, Kensei, and Love to scout the shoreline," the chief said. "See if you can discover what the intentions of these people are."

"I understand, I'll do it," Ichigo answered, without hesitation. He was also curious about these people. It had been a years since he had seen another one of his kind.

* * *

Ichigo had gone in search of Kensei and Love. He had not gotten far when he felt a stone hit him in the back of the head. Ichigo turned to face the perpetrator and was not at all surprised to see who it was.

"I heard what you and the chief were talking about," Hiyori stated. Ichigo was fully aware of what she wanted.

"You can't come with me," Hiyori," he said firmly.

"Why not?" she demanded. "This is not a hunt, you're just going to look! Any fool can do it!"

"Shinji told the villagers to stay in the village and that means you as well," he said evenly. "And don't be so quick to think you can handle this."

"They're just men!" she scoffed.

"You don't know what they're capable of Hiyori," he said trying to reason with her. "Just because you are a child, they wouldn't treat you any differently from the rest of us."

"I can do it!" she shouted and for a moment Ichigo could hear a hint of desperation in her voice. She really wanted to prove herself.

Ichigo sighed and knelt down in front of Hiyori.

"I'm not saying you can't do it Hiyori," he said with a kind smile. "I have no doubt that you have the potential to be a great warrior."

"Then why won't you let me go?" she asked keeping her scowl, but Ichigo could see tears forming in her eyes. He sighed once more and showed her his mask.

"I had to earn this mask," he said. "I was only allowed to earn after I was ready. I had to wait ten whole years until that time came."

Hiyori said nothing, meaning she would let Ichigo speak and she would listen.

"Your time will come, Hiyori," he said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Maybe not today, or tomorrow, but your time _will_ come. Understand?"

Hiyori looked like she was about to protest, but Ichigo could see that she knew he was right. She nodded and then left. Ichigo knew she was not pleased by what he had to say, but it was something she needed to hear. With that taken care of he resumed his search for Love and Kensei.

* * *

The _Susan Constant_ was the first ship to dock at the shore. It was early midday and there was much to be done. Shelters needed to be built for the nobles first and then the workers would set up their camps. The land would be christened in the name of England and given its name the next day once all had been settled.

Rukia was eager to get off the ship and set foot on dry land for the first time in several months. As she stood on the grassy shore, she gazed at the land before her. Their settlement was several yards from the woods but Rukia could already see the woodland creatures that had wandered toward the forest's edge out of curiosity to these strange new visitors. She had a strong desire to walk into the woods and explore, but she could already imagine what Byakuya would say at such a thought. She sighed. Rukia had a feeling she would never see the lands beyond the settlement if her brother had his way.

"What are you staring at?" she heard Renji asked from behind her.

"Just the forest," she answered simply.

"I'm not letting you sneak away so you can get yourself lost in the woods, Rukia," Renji answered firmly.

"I thought no such thing!" she said, offended. "Why would you suspect something like that?"

"Because I know you," Renji replied smugly. Rukia scowled and faced away from him.

"I am not planning anything right now, Renji. My brother will most likely ask for a tent to be made for me immediately and confine me to it for the rest of the day."

"Rukia, he only behaves that way because he cares about you," Renji said, though he wasn't too sure he believed his own words.

"He behaves that way because I'm all he has left of my sister," she snapped and then walked away.

Sure enough a tent had been set up for her at under Byakuya's orders and the noble had instructed her to stay within its shelter until it was deemed safe for her to come out. Rukia would have complained, but complaining never did her much good with Byakuya. He told her she would be given some time to wander about, with Renji by her side of course.

A servant came into the tent with a tray of food. She dressed like a typical scullery maid but carried an air of unstoppable happiness. A bright smile adorned her face, and long auburn hair draped past her shoulders. She was taller than Rukia and had a more well- developed body. She was not only Rukia's personal servant, but she was one of her best friends.

"It's meal time, Lady Kuchiki," she stated cheerfully as she entered the tent.

"Orihime, how many times must I tell you, call me Rukia," the tiny noble said with a smile.

"My apologies, Lady Kuchiki," Orihime said with a bow. Rukia sighed and proceeded to eat her food.

"How are you finding the New World so far, Lady Kuchiki?" Orihime asked.

"It's beautiful," Rukia said with a smile. "Though I doubt I'll get to see much of it beyond this settlement."

"Is that really such a bad thing?" Orihime asked slightly confused. "Are you not worried about the dangers out there? What about the savages?" she asked curiously. Rukia took another bite of her food before responding.

"I will admit that I am curious about what is out there," she began. "This is a strange land and I want to see all that it has to offer, even the so called savages."

"You want to see the savages?!" Orihime asked, shocked.

"I'm sure they're not all bad," Rukia said with a role of her eyes. "They may look different, but they are people, are they not?"

"Well… I suppose so…" Orihime said, giving it some thought.

"They just do what they do because they don't know what the correct way is," Rukia explained. "That is why we're here, Orihime. We are going to show them how to use this land properly and then they'll be much happier."

"You sound so sure Lady Kuchiki," Orihime said, a little surprised at her mistress's confidence and opinion.

"Of course I do! Sosuke Aizen may be in charge of this expedition, but the men respect my brother. He sees it the same as I do, trust me," Rukia stated confidently.

* * *

Ichigo and Kensei watched the shore from the hills in the forest behind the tress, their masks hiding their faces. Love had opted to scout ahead and try and find out just how many men and women were on those ships. Kensei had his hands close to his weapon just in case the situation made a turn for the worse. If the Arrancar made a move now it would not look good for either tribe; a situation both Ichigo and Kensei wanted to avoid.

Ichigo was gazing intently at the people from his spot in the woods. His mind wandered back to what Zangetsu had said to him earlier.

'_Events are about to unfold, Ichigo. You must be ready.'_

Ichigo wondered what the spirit meant. Was he telling him to prepare for war? Was he telling him to prevent war? All he wanted at that moment was a definite answer.

Before he could ponder the situation any further, Love had returned from his scout.

"What news, Love?" Kensei asked.

"There are at least two hundred men on the shore," Love informed.

"What manner of weapons are they using?"

"They appear to be using those _"rifles"_ Isshin use to carry."

"What else are they doing?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"They seem to be setting up shelters," Love stated. "Some of them wear clothing that looks more beautiful than others."

"Nobles," Ichigo answered. "They are the leaders of these men and women."

"Are they warriors?" Kensei asked. Ichigo shook his head.

"Nobles do not engage in combat. They leave that to those who serve them."

"What are they going to do?" Love asked.

"They've been on the ships for months; the first thing they will do is rest," Ichigo answered. "Tomorrow they will start cutting down the trees to build homes for themselves."

"What?! They will cut down the forest?!" Love asked with a gasp. Ichigo scowled and nodded. He didn't like it either.

"Yes," Ichigo said. "They want to build a settlement here and will clear the land for space."

"We can not let them do that!" Kensei growled. "This is our land!"

"That won't stop them Kensei," Ichigo said calmly. "To them, we are savages, no better than wild animals."

"Why should we seek peace with them?" Kensei asked. "Hachigen said it himself; they will kill us if they believe we are a danger to them."

"That is why we must not give them reason to harm us," Ichigo responded.

"We should go before they spot us," Love suggested.

"You two go on ahead, I will stay and watch them some more," Ichigo.

"What if the Arrancars show up?" Kensei asked, not too fond of the idea.

"I'll be fine, Kensei," Ichigo reassured.

Neither of Ichigo's to companions were keen on the idea of leaving their comrade alone, but could see that he wasn't going to change his mind. They promised that they would return for him quickly after they had told Shinji what they had seen.

Ichigo returned his attention to the settlers and moved to get a closer look. He made sure to keep his distance; no need to cause a panic right away. He stopped his advance when he felt something sharp prodding into his back.

"_Move and you die!"_

Ichigo recognized the language of the voice as the language of the Arrancar. He suddenly felt very worried. Were the Arrancar preparing an attack now? He didn't understand, but he raised his arms to show that he was no threat.

It seemed to be the wrong move to make because Ichigo felt a hand on his shoulder and was then thrown onto his back. The next thing he knew, there was a spear head over his neck poised to impale him. Ichigo glanced to his left to see a man standing above him holding the spear.

The man, like most of the male natives, was wearing deer skin trousers and also a vest made of deer skin. Ichigo also noticed that the man was unnaturally tall, nearly two feet taller than himself! Long black hair draped over most of the man's snake like face and hung past his shoulders. Ichigo could also see a white clothe wrapped around upper left corner of the man's face, most likely covering a hole where an eye should have been.

"_What are you doing, Nnoitra?"_ came a second voice. This one was familiar to Ichigo.

"_This one is mine Grimmjow!"_ Nnoitra snarled.

Ichigo cursed his luck when he heard the name Grimmjow. Sure enough, he saw the blue-haired Arrancar enter his field of vision above him, with a smug grin on his face.

"I hoped I would see you again, though I did not think it would be this soon," he said, excitedly. Nnoitra looked back and forth between the two with a look of confusion.

"_What are saying to him, Grimmjow?"_ Nnoitra demanded.

"_Stay out of this Nnoitra!" _Grimmjow snapped. "_He's mine!"_

"_What did you say?!"_ Nnoitra asked angrily. _"Who do you think you are?!"_

"_I lost this prey because Neliel interfered," _Grimmjow said as he pulled out his knife. _"I will be the one that kills him!"_

"_Stop it, both of you!" _came a stern yet soft voice. Ichigo recognized this one as well.

"_Don't interfere, Neliel!" _Grimmjow snarled, facing the sea-foam haired Arrancar.

"_This is not what we are here for, Grimmjow," _Neliel said, keeping her tone stern.

"_NO!" _Grimmjow shouted. _"I __**will**__ kill him!" _

"_Stand down, Grimmjow," _Neliel said, as if she were speaking to a child throwing a fit.

Ichigo watched Grimmjow shake with rage and glare daggers at Neliel. With a final growl he put his knife away. Neliel walked past him and gave Nnoitra the same stern look.

"_Lay down your spear, Nnoitra," _she ordered evenly.

Nnoitra narrowed his eyes at Neliel and moved his spear away from Ichigo's neck and stepped back.

Neliel offered her hand to Ichigo and helped him stand.

"Thank you," he said gratefully. Neliel offered him a small smile.

"What are you doing down here?" Ichigo asked curiously. He had just seen Neliel earlier that morning and was surprised to be seeing her again so soon.

"We were ordered to scout the shore again," she answered. "We need to know if there is a threat down there."

"There could be," Ichigo said.

"How do you know?" Neliel asked curiously.

"I'm from the same land as the pale faces down there."

"What are they doing here?"

Ichigo led her to the spot where he had been observing the shore before being blind-sided. Grimmjow and Nnoitra stayed put, looking none too happy about the situation.

Ichigo explained to Neliel who the people were and what their intentions were. She seemed shocked by the news and asked if there was away to avoid the possible extermination of both their tribes and the people on the shore. Ichigo gave her the same answer he gave Shinji.

"My people will not stand for this," she said looking down at the shore. "These people simple being here is reason enough for our chief to order their slaughter. Now knowing what you have told me, my people will no doubt declare war."

"You can't let them do that. Is there not anyone else in your village that wants to avoid bloodshed?" Ichigo asked.

"There are a few others, but we alone will not be able to quell their thirst for blood."

"We have to try," Ichigo said, keeping his eyes on the settlers. "If there is war, it will end badly for my people, yours and the people down there."

For a while Neliel stayed silent, simply staring at Ichigo.

"Very well," she finally said. "I will see what I can do and try to keep my chief from ordering any attacks."

"Thank you Neliel," Ichigo said with a grin. "What about them?" he asked looking back at Grimmjow and Nnoitra.

"Do not worry about those two, they _will_ listen to me."

Ichigo found himself believing her. Not once but twice was she able to force Grimmjow to stand down with mere words and simple stare.

"_Neliel we need to go!"_ Grimmjow said. Ichigo couldn't understand his language, but it sounded urgent.

"_What is it, Grimmjow?_"

"_Someone's coming!"_

"What's going on?" Ichigo asked.

"Someone's coming," Neliel answered. "They're neither Arrancar nor Vizard."

Understanding dawned on Ichigo. The settlers had entered the woods.

"_How many are there?_" she asked her companions.

"_I can see two of them,_" Nnoitra said, looking through the brush down a small hill.

"_Should we kill them?" _Grimmjow asked, his hand already reaching for his knife. Ichigo saw this and ran towards him, placing his hand over Grimmjow's arm.

"No!" he told him. Grimmjow stared at Ichigo with wide eyes before glaring at him.

"Listen to him Grimmjow!" Neliel ordered.

Grimmjow shook visibly. His prey was so close and in perfect range of a killing blow and yet Neliel's words were enough to stay his hand from taking the life of a man he yearned to kill. With an agitated growl through gritted fang-like teeth, Grimmjow obeyed his companion's order and distanced his hand from his knife.

Ichigo moved past Grimmjow and looked towards where Nnoitra had indicated. Neliel had joined his side. As Nnoitra had said, there were two people walking through a path in the forest that led down to the shore.

One of them, Ichigo could see, was a female. She was quite small, maybe only a few inches taller than Karin and Yuzu. Wearing a rather formal dress indicative of a member or perhaps an associate of the nobility. A sun hat prevented Ichigo from getting a good look at her face.

The other was a man. He appeared to be around Ichigo's age and had a similar build. Ichigo could tell by his lower class attire that he was laborer for the expedition. Judging by the musket he had strapped to his back and the sword at his side, Ichigo had a feeling he was more likely the girls guardian.

"What are they doing?" Neliel whispered.

"I don't know. I could find out if I could get closer," Ichigo responded.

"Go then. We will be watching."

Ichigo nodded and started to crawl through the brush, his body low to the ground and his movements slow and steady. He did his best to keep himself from tumbling down the hill so not to alert the man with the musket.

He decided to stop half-way between the top of the hill and the path, behind a boulder that kept him fully concealed and kept him at a perfect distance to hear listen in on the two strangers and keep himself hidden.

'_Now to find out what's going on' _he thought to himself.

* * *

Rukia marveled at how beautiful the forest looked up close. The rudimentary path she and Renji were currently traversing on had been found after a few minutes of walking into the forest.

"Rukia, I really think we should go back," Renji stated for the fourth time causing Rukia to sigh in a annoyance.

"Stop your whining, Renji!" she said, irritated. She had been trying to enjoy the scenery, but it was hard when Renji would complain about what they were doing every minute.

Rukia had been in that tent for about an hour before boredom had officially set in. Byakuya had promised her some time to wander about the shore, but knowing Byakuya, she would be in that tent until late in the afternoon and that didn't sit well with her at all. Finally she had snuck out after convincing Orihime to cover for her. The poor servant girl certainly did not like the idea of lying to her master and employer, but after several promises from Rukia that no trouble would come to her, she conceded.

Renji was even more opposed to the idea. He was already in enough trouble with Byakuya and he didn't need one of Rukia's crazy ideas to make things worse for him. It was those damned eyes of hers that had worked him over. Whenever Rukia wanted Renji to do something for her, she would use her big, bright, lavender eyes to win him over. So, with a series of curses and groans, he had grabbed his musket and agreed to escort Rukia through the woods.

"This really isn't a good idea," Renji groaned, yet again.

"I said stop whining!" Rukia snapped.

"What kind of tone is that?" Renji asked. "I'm the one who took you out here. Your brother will most likely have me hanged for this," he grumbled, rubbing his neck and trying not to imagine a rope around it and Byakuya pulling the level whilst glaring at him.

"Just blame it on me and say it was all my idea," Rukia said with a sigh as she continued forward.

"It _was_ all your idea!" Renji whined.

Rukia only rolled her eyes and kept walking. She really wished everyone would stop being so afraid of her brother; it was annoying and one of the reasons why her only friends were the people who served her.

Renji groaned some more as he walked after her only to stop when he swore he heard a noise. It could have been the snapping of a twig or the rustling of a bush, he couldn't tell; there were so many sounds throughout the forest. Still, he couldn't help but have this feeling that someone or something was watching him. He looked up the hill to his side and saw a few small loose rocks roll down it and onto the path. He pulled his musket off his shoulder and held it out in front of him with his finger on the trigger. He listened for a while for any sound or movement, completely unaware of the three presences that were watching him like a hawk. After several moments of silence, Renji deduced that it was nothing and that he was jumping to conclusions. He looked up the path and found that Rukia was no longer there. Panic set in and he took off running down the path. Further panic met him when he saw a fork in the road.

"Rukia!" he called out. No response. He cursed his luck and headed down the left path.

"I knew it! I'm going to hang for this!" he cried, already imagining Byakuya's cold glare.

* * *

Rukia had wandered deeper into the forest, off of the path she had been travelling on. At the fork in the dirt road, she had spotted a rabbit and quickly gave chase.

Rukia had always had a childish love for rabbits and had always wanted one, however, there were no rabbits in London and she doubted her brother would allow her to keep it in their estate anyhow. But now that she was in a wilderness that was most likely abundant with the adorable creature and she now had a tent of her own, she had a chance to have her dream pet.

Rukia was having a bit of trouble trying to catch the rabbit since it would hop away if she ever got too close; her dress made a lot of noise as it brushed against the ground causing the rabbit to scamper away. Still, she continued after it, intent on making it hers.

She had never realized that she was being carefully watched by a certain orange haired native that was keeping his distance, using the foliage as cover.

"Come on little one," she cooed to the rabbit as she inched a little closer to it. "I'm not going to hurt you." She knelt down and held out her hand for the rabbit, waiting for it to come closer. The small animal gazed at her hand curiously and slowly hopped towards her.

A loud roar was heard causing the rabbit to scamper away in fear. Rukia looked up to her right to see a massive bear standing atop the hill. The animal looked down at her with curiosity while Rukia stared back in fear. She looked around for Renji, but he was nowhere in sight. She didn't know what to do and the bear wasn't moving either. She thought she was safe and stood up, then took a small step back. The boar roared loudly and began running towards Rukia. She screamed and took off running.

She wasn't sure where she was going; the path was long gone. She hoped she was running in the direction of the shore. She would much rather face her brother than the bear that was chasing her. She could already hear the voice of Renji telling her "I told you so" and her brother forbidding her to leave the encampment, if she could escape the bear, that is.

She didn't even know of the bear was still following her. She looked back to see and saw that the animal was indeed chasing after her. She was too busy checking for her giant, furry pursuer, that she didn't see the tree root that was protruding out of the ground. The next think she knew she was falling forward. She turned her head just in time for it to hit the ground. She groaned and looked up, her vision hazy from the collision. She the sound of footsteps behind her and slowly turned her head to see the bear walking towards her. She moved to stand back up and continue running, but a sharp pain in her ankle told her she wouldn't be running anywhere. The bear walked closer to her and raised its paw to bring its sharp claws down on her.

Rukia never expected it to end this way, lying in the middle of the woods and about to be mauled by a bear. Now more than ever she wished she would have listened to her brother and Renji.

'_God, if I survive this, I swear I will never disobey my brother again'_ she thought as she closed her eyes and waited for the end. It didn't come. Instead she heard what sounded like a human yelling.

She opened her eyes and saw a human figure jump on top of the bears back. The bear's attention was taken away from Rukia and this new attacker. The figure, Rukia now realized was a man, jumped off of the bears back before it could swipe at him with its claws. The man ran in between Rukia and the bear and pulled out a knife, then took up at stance with the knife held horizontally out in front of him.

Rukia took a moment to study her apparent savior. He wasn't wearing clothing that she had ever seen before; in fact he wasn't even wearing a shirt! His trousers were made of material Rukia couldn't recognize as were his shoes. Another thing that made this man stranger still was the color of his hair, a bright orange. She couldn't see his face, but it didn't take long for Rukia to realize who her savior was. He was one of the natives, the savages.

She watched him as stood still between her and the bear. The bear seemed to be gazing directly at the savage. In fact Rukia noticed that the animal looked almost placid. For what seemed like forever, there was only silence.

Finally the bear let out what sounded like a groan and walked away. Rukia sat up amazed at what she had witnessed. She tensed up when the figure stood up straight and faced her. She panicked further when she saw his face, or rather what was on it. She had never seen such a frightening mask before. For a moment she thought that maybe these people might actually be demons.

"P-Please don't hurt me," she said with fear-filled eyes as he took a step towards her. She tried to get away but a sharp pain in her ankle kept her from doing so.

The masked man knelt down in front of her and reached for her ankle.

"W-What are you doing?! Don't touch me!" Rukia cried out. The man shushed her and she did so out of fear.

The man then removed his mask. What Rukia saw was not what she had expected at all. The man looked nothing like a savage at all. He looked like an ordinary person, aside from his attire. She also noticed how handsome his face was as well as how easily she was getting lost in his hazel eyes, the latter causing a pink tint to color her cheeks.

The man looked away from her and back at her ankle. He applied pressure with his thumb, causing Rukia to wince.

"That hurts!"

The man ignored her and reached for her dress. He tore away at the hem causing Rukia to cry out once more. She was afraid this man would defile her body right there in the woods. Lucky for her he did no such thing. He wrapped the torn piece of her dress tightly around her ankle and squeezed it once more. Rukia was surprised to discover that her ankle actually didn't hurt as badly that time.

"You had better keep off of this leg for the rest of the day," the man spoke. Rukia gasped in surprised. She didn't know the savages could speak English.

"Who are you?" she asked curiously.

Before he could speak, another voice was heard.

"_Ichigo_!" The voice was female. Rukia looked past the man who had tended to her injury to see a woman with green hair and attire similar to the man running towards them. Behind her were two more men wearing the same clothing. The three of them looked more like the savages she had heard so much about.

The woman began speaking to the man who had saved her in a strange language. By the tone of their voices she could judge that whatever they were discussing was urgent.

"Rukia!" she heard a familiar voice call out. It was Renji's voice.

The savages heard the voice as well and ran in the opposite direction.

"Wait!" Rukia called out to the orange haired man. He must not have heard her because he ran into the forest until he vanished from her sight.

"Rukia, where are you?" she heard Renji shout once more.

"I'm here!" she called out.

Renji appeared a few moments later, along with several other men armed with muskets. Renji ran towards her once he noticed she was lying on the ground with a torn dress and a bandaged ankle.

"Rukia are you alright?" Renji asked in his usual worried tone. Rukia smiled. A few minutes ago she thought she would never hear him sounding worried over her again.

"I'm alright, Renji."

"What happened to you?" Renji asked, looking her over.

"Yes, Rukia. What _did _happen?" came a very familiar cold voice.

Rukia looked up to see Byakuya on a horse slowly walking towards her. His face was impassive, but Rukia could see the anger in his eyes.

She changed her mind. She would rather be mauled to death by the bear.

* * *

**As I said at the start of this chapter, check out the poll on my profile so I know where to place my focus for the future.**

**R&R please!**


	6. Chapter 6

"Where do I begin?" Byakuya asked as he paced back and forth in front of Rukia, Renji, and Orihime. The three of them had their heads facing the floor, a look of shame on all three of their features.

After Rukia had been found in the woods, she was immediately returned to the encampment. Once there, she had been told by Byakuya, who was brimming with silent fury, to stay in the tent until he returned. Her ankle was tended to by Orihime and she was promised that she would be able to walk again the next day; not that Byakuya would ever let her walk two steps out of the tent ever again.

Byakuya had arrived later that afternoon with Renji so he could punish the three of them for what they had done.

"Where do I begin?" he asked once more, slowly this time with an even colder tone.

"Shall I start with how you just left the encampment without a word?" he asked looking at Rukia.

"Or how I came to your tent to let you know that you were free to walk amongst the settlement, only to find Miss Inoue and she lied to me when asked of your whereabouts," he said, to Orihime this time. The red head tensed up under his gaze and tried to distract herself by straightening out her dress.

"Then I see Mr. Abarai running out of the woods trying to gather the men to go back in there with him. Only then do I find out that you had not only gone into the woods without my permission, but you had your attendants lie for you."

Rukia stayed quiet. Trying to defend her actions wouldn't do her much good when Byakuya was this angry.

"Then, upon your discovery, I find you sitting in the middle of the forest, your dress torn, and with an injured ankle."

"Now that we are clear on the matter of the events that have transpired thus far, I must simply ask: why, Rukia?" Byakuya asked, ceasing his pacing and standing in front of Rukia.

Rukia dared to look at her brother-in-law's face. As usual it was expressionless and she could see some of the anger that was in his eyes had dissipated somewhat as he waited patiently for her response. With a heavy sigh, she began her defense.

"It's true. I did get Orihime to lie for me and I forced Renji to guide me through the woods," she admitted. "I only wanted to see the woods at least once before we began cutting the trees down."

"And?" Byakuya asked. "Was this the result you were expecting?" he asked, pointing to her re-bandaged ankle.

"I was chased by a bear and fell down!" she said defensively.

Shock spread across Byakuya's face. His face quickly assumed its cold stare and he directed it at Renji.

"Were you not supposed to be watching her on this foolish venture?" Renji could only hang his head.

"It's not his fault!" Rukia said standing up from her chair despite the pain in her ankle. "I went off on my own."

"Rukia, what are you-"Renji began, but Rukia cut him off.

"Shut up, Renji!" she snapped and then looked back at Byakuya.

"Renji tried to get me to go back, but I wouldn't listen. I ran off ahead without him and got myself lost."

Renji stood there dumbfounded. Rukia was taking all of the blame for him!

"And I forced Orihime to lie for me," she continued. "None of this is their fault, Byakuya. I just wanted to get away from the camp for a little while."

Renji and Orihime looked from Rukia to Byakuya. Byakuya was staring at her with an unreadable expression.

"Am I to understand that you are the only one who is to blame, Rukia?" Byakuya asked calmly.

"Yes," Rukia answered.

"Very well then. You two may leave us now," he said to Renji and Orihime. The two seemed hesitant at first, but a cold stare from Byakuya was more than enough to convince them to leave, leaving the two Kuchiki's alone.

"What do you suggest I do Rukia?" Byakuya asked, resuming his pacing.

"What you must," she answered flatly, refusing to look at her brother.

Byakuya stayed silent for a few moments before speaking up again.

"Do you despise me Rukia?"

Rukia looked up at Byakuya in surprise.

"What?"

"Are you angry with me? Do you hate me?"

"N-no… I-I don't…" Rukia stammered, not too sure of it herself. "I don't hate you, Byakuya. I just wish you wouldn't treat me like a child."

"Rukia, everything I do, I do for your safety," Byakuya stated evenly. Rukia's eyes narrowed at him.

"Is it really for me… or just because of my sister?"

If the question _did_ affect Byakuya, he didn't show it. Rukia, however, regretted her words. She knew how the very mention of her sister affected Byakuya. His slight or miniscule facial twitches might go unnoticed by most, but to Rukia, he may as well have been sobbing whenever he heard Hisana's name.

"In light of everything you have told me and the most important thing being that you are still alive, I will be lenient with you this time, Rukia." Byakuya finally said.

Rukia looked up to her brother in surprise. Byakuya usually employed discipline when someone defied him as she had.

"But I-"she began, trying to discover the reason behind the free pass.

"I will leave you to rest your ankle, but consider this a warning Rukia," he said calmly yet sternly. Then he left her tent to resume his duties.

Rukia was shocked at her brother's quick dismissal of her actions, but relieved all the same. She suspected his behavior had something to do with the comment she had made about her sister. It had been over a year now, but it seemed Hisana's death was always on Byakuya's mind.

With not much else to do and because of her ankle, Rukia decided to turn in for the day and slipped into her cot. Orihime came by once again to give her something to eat and drink before she fell asleep.

As she reclined on her cot, Rukia couldn't help but think about her near-death experience and the orange haired savage who saved her life.

Upon landing, Aizen had officially claimed the land on the name of England. The settlement was named "Genryūsai", after the current King of England, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. Once the new unified flag of England, the Union Jack, was raised, permanent structures needed to be erected.

The next morning was a flurry of activity as the men unloaded two-man saws, axes, pickaxes, shovels, wheel barrels, and several other tools from the ships.

Rukia was picking at her breakfast. After spending months on a ship with a limited variety of food, one would easily grow to dislike eating the same thing every day. Hopefully the men would go into the woods hunting for meat.

Her ankle was feeling much better. She still hobbled a bit, but at least she could walk, not that it mattered much. Byakuya had given her a break with his leniency, she wouldn't push her luck by going exploring again. Still, she was very curious about the savage that had saved her yesterday.

After she finished her meal, she left her tent for some fresh air. Even though wandering about the shore wasn't necessarily as exciting as the forest, it was better than being confined to her tent or the ship.

"Rukia!" Rukia groaned inwardly when she recognized the voice. She turned to face Renji.

"Should you really be walking around?" he asked.

"I'm within my brother's field of vision, am I not?" she retorted. "Anyway, shouldn't you be working with the rest of the men?"

"Lord Kuchiki wants me to keep an eye on you," he answered.

"To make sure I don't go back into the forest again, correct?" she asked growing a little agitated.

"Yes and to make sure you don't hurt yourself with that foot."

"I am not some feeble child, Renji!" she snapped.

"Don't get angry with me, I'm only following orders," he said, throwing his hands up defensively. Rukia sighed and her face softened a bit.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"It's alright, I understand," Renji said placing a hand on her shoulder.

The two continued their stroll on the shore. Renji made Rukia stop every now and then so she wouldn't irritate her ankle.

"So tell me, Rukia, how did you escape the bear?" Renji asked curiously.

"You wouldn't believe if I told you," she answered.

"Try me."

Rukia sighed before answering.

"It was one of the savages." Renji could only look at her like she was crazy. "As I said you wouldn't believe me," she said and continued walking.

"It's not that I don't believe you, Rukia," he said. "It's just… strange."

"That's what I thought while he was bandaging my leg."

"He did that? Wait, what do you mean "he"" Renji asked, growing even more surprised. Rukia nodded her head before continuing.

"Yes, it was a man. He jumped between me and the bear and then he just… stared at it and made it go away."

"How could he have done that?" Renji asked curiously. Rukia shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I suppose it makes sense. Animals should be able to speak with other animals," Renji said sardonically. Rukia glared at him.

"He was not an animal, Renji and for your information he seemed quite capable of speaking English."

"He _spoke _to you?"

"Will you stop acting so surprised!" Rukia snapped. "They're not mindless animals!

"Alright, I'm sorry," he said, apologetically. "I just didn't expect them to be as you've described."

"Well, they've been full of surprises so far…" Rukia said, thinking about the orange haired native. "Do you think we'll seem them again?"

Suddenly, one of the men shouted "savages"!

"It definitely seems that way," Renji said before running back to the encampment. Rukia followed close behind, ignoring her ankle, hoping that hell wouldn't break loose.

As soon as Aizen heard the cries of alarm, he ordered the men to arm themselves. The men grabbed their rifles and gathered at the edge of the encampment, waiting for the savages to appear. Byakuya was amongst them with his own personal rifle, though he had hoped there wouldn't be a need to use it.

"Byakuya!"

The noble Kuchiki turned to see his sister and Renji running towards them.

"Renji, get Rukia somewhere safe," Byakuya ordered.

"Wait, Byakuya! You mustn't fire!" Rukia pleaded.

"I might not have a choice, Rukia. If they attack, we will fire upon them."

"Here they come!" one of the men shouted.

"Renji!" Byakuya ordered as he aimed his rifle.

"Yes m'lord!" Renji said obediently and tried to drag Rukia away from the scene. Rukia protested and fought against Renji's grip, but he proved to be to strong for her.

There was an agonizing silence as everyone waited for the savages to come out of the woods.

Finally, one of them stepped out. He came out with arms held up and walked toward them very slowly. Renji stopped pulling Rukia away and gazed curiously at the figure stepping out of the woods. Rukia's eyes widened as she recognized the savaged that had gained everyone's attention.

"It's him!"

"What?" Renji asked as Rukia struggled further in his arms.

"He's the one, Renji! He saved my life!" she said as she finally pulled free of his grasp and ran towards Byakuya.

"Don't shoot!" she cried. Byakuya looked back to see his sister running towards him.

"Rukia, I told you to-"

"Don't shoot him, Byakuya!"she cut him off as she grabbed his arm. "He's the one who saved me yesterday!"

One of the men started to say "ready… aim… ", but Rukia rushed in front of them before the order to fire could be given.

"Don't shoot!" she cried.

The men looked at her like she was crazy, until Byakuya stepped in front of her.

"Stand down," he ordered. The men seemed hesitant at first, but did as the noble had said.

"You had better have a good explanation for this Rukia," Byakuya stated with a warning glare.

"This man saved my life," she explained. "He won't hurt us."

"It is as she says."

Everyone looked at the savage in surprise. They believed that the savages were incapable of speaking English. Byakuya looked at him with a critical eye.

"We do not to wish to harm you," the savage continued. "With your permission my lord, we would like to speak with you and the other leaders of the expedition."

Everyone, other than Byakuya's, jaw dropped.

"Who are you?" Byakuya asked after a tense silence.

"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki."

"…Kurosaki…" Byakuya mumbled, rolling the name around in head. It sounded familiar to him; he could have sworn he had heard it once in his life. Then he suddenly realized.

"Who was your father?"

"Isshin Kurosaki," Ichigo answered.

"He was a physician, was he not?" Ichigo nodded his head. "And your mother, a midwife?"

"Masaki Kurosaki, yes."

There were murmurs amongst the settlers. The last thing they expected to see today was their benefactor conversing with one of the savages, especially if it was one capable of intelligent conversation.

Rukia was perplexed by what she was seeing and especially what she was hearing. Not only was her brother of all people speaking to a savage, but he knew of the young man's parents! She couldn't fathom how this was all possible. How could her brother know the parents of a savage?

"You said "we" earlier," Byakuya stated, getting back to the topic at hand. "Are there more of you here?"

Ichigo nodded and turned towards the woods. The men all tensed up as he appeared to have waved someone over.

More than a dozen savages came out of the woods carrying baskets. The settlers looked on with wary looks. One savage that could speak English was not enough to dissuade them about the supposed danger that these beings posed.

"Who are you?" Byakuya asked once more, keeping an eye on the new arrivals.

"We are the Vizards," Ichigo answered. "We wish to welcome you to this land and hope that you will accept these offerings and bare us no hatred."

One of the Vizards handed Ichigo a basket and Ichigo held it out for Byakuya. The noble examined the contents carefully, making sure he was not being deceived.

"It's food," Ichigo stated. "We grow it ourselves. It must be tiresome eating the same thing for several months."

Everyone watched and waited for Byakuya's reaction as he stared at the contents of the basket.

"Indeed it has," he finally said. "Renji, help the men gather the food these kind people have brought us."

"Y-Yes my lord!" Renji said in surprise before stepping forward.

He stopped in front of one of them, a women with spectacles. He looked at her awkwardly while she seemed a little wary of him.

"It's alright Lisa," Ichigo said.

Lisa nodded and held the basket out for Renji. He slowly reached out and took it from her and then looked back to Lisa. She stared back and then a small smile spread across her lips. Renji couldn't help but smile back.

"Thank you," he said.

"You are welcome," Lisa replied.

The interaction between the two of them made some of the men a little less nervous and confident enough to put down their guns and accept the gifts form the Vizards.

Rukia looked on with a happy smile. She just knew it would turn out this way. Everything she believed had been proven to be true.

"I must thank you for saving my sister, Ichigo," Byakuya said to the young native. "I am sure she is grateful as well."

"I am," Rukia said with a nod. "Thank you," she said with a small grin.

"It was nothing, my lady" Ichigo said with a kind smile.

"Are you the leader of your people?" Byakuya asked, gaining back Ichigo's attention.

"No," Ichigo said, shaking his head. He then turned around and walked toward another one of the natives. They spoke for a moment and then Ichigo led him back towards Byakuya.

"My lord, this is our chief, Shinji Hirako," Ichigo stated.

"I am Byakuya Kuchiki," the noble said, holding his hand out for Shinji to shake.

Shinji looked at Byakuya's hand in confusion, believing there was something specific for him to do.

"It's a handshake, Shinji" Ichigo whispered into his chief's ear.

Shinji nodded and raised his hand and shook it in the air. The men laughed while Rukia giggled. Byakuya remained impassive as always and waited patiently for an appropriate response.

"No, Shinji!" Ichigo said and grabbed Shinji's hand. "Grasp his hand firmly and moved your hand up and down."

Shinji nodded and did as Ichigo had instructed. He grasped Byakuya's hand and shook it slowly.

"It is an honor to meet you," Shinji said politely. Byakuya nodded and released Shinji's hand.

"My apologies my lord; I did not teach them much about common mannerisms," Ichigo said.

"It's quite alright," Byakuya said waving his hand dismissively.

"Is it, Lord Kuchiki?"

Everyone's head turned to see Sosuke Aizen making his way towards the three of them. Trailing close behind him was Gin Ichimaru.

"Good morning, Lord Aizen," Byakuya greeted politely. "The natives have brought us gifts."

"The natives?" Aizen asked curiously. Only Byakuya was able to catch the hint of mockery in his voice.

"Yes. These are the Vizards," Byakuya stated, gesturing to the tribe.

"And this is the man who saved me yesterday," Rukia said, pointing to Ichigo.

"Is that so?" Gin inquired. "Then allow me to thank you for saving Lady Kuchiki. It would be a shame if such a beauty were mauled by a beast," Gin said with his fox-like grin and extended his hand to Ichigo.

Ichigo looked at Gin for a moment. That grin of his… it was unnerving. Not even Grimmjow's ferocious grin intimidated him as much as this man's. Ichigo glanced at Rukia and could see that she too shared the same feelings about this man. It seemed that simply being called a beauty by this squinty-eyed man made her pale. Not wanting to be rude, however, he shook Gin's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir…"

"Ichimaru, Gin Ichimaru."

Ichigo nodded and turned back to Byakuya.

"Lord Kuchiki, my chief would like to discuss the future of our tribe and your settlement with you."

"How do you mean?" Byakuya asked curiously.

"We know how some of your men may feel about us," Ichigo began. "Our people are scared that you would act with violence against us."

"I see…" Byakuya said simply.

"Also we have come to warn you," Ichigo continued.

"Warn us?" Aizen asked calmly. "Or do you mean threaten?"

"Nothing of the sort, my lord," Ichigo said, hiding his anger towards the comment.

"Really? And why should we believe what you say?" Aizen asked silkily.

"Aizen, let him speak," Byakuya commanded. "What do you intend to warn us about?" he asked Ichigo.

"Of another tribe in these lands," he answered. "One not as peaceful or as welcoming to visitors as ours."

"What is this tribe called?" Byakuya asked.

"The Arrancars," Ichigo answered.

"And what, may ask, distinguishes them from the rest of you?" Aizen asked.

"The Arrancar take pride in the slaughter of any living thing," Ichigo explained. "Your very presence here has them calling for blood."

"Such is the behavior of savages," Aizen said coldly.

Ichigo glared at him, already disliking this man.

"Sosuke, I believe it would be in our best interests to hear what these people have to say," Byakuya said evenly.

"What would be the point?" Aizen asked calmly. "These _people_, as you put it, carry weapons made of wood and stone. Our men carry steel, iron, and gun powder. What have we to fear?"

"They know the land. You do not," Ichigo spoke up, causing everyone to turn their attention back to him. "And they won't give you a chance to fight back, should they attack."

"You seem to know much about the working of theses 'Arrancars'. Personally experience perhaps?" Aizen asked, with a condescending stare.

"As a matter of fact yes," Ichigo stated brazenly. The Arrancars ambushed my family when I was eight years old. They murdered my father and tried to do the same to me and sisters. Over the years, they have killed many of clansmen. So yes, I suppose you could say I have personal experience with the Arrancars."

Everyone watched in awe as Ichigo boldly spoke to Aizen as if they were equals.

"Lord Aizen, I think it would be wise to suspend any action until we have come to an understanding with the natives of this land," Byakuya said, well aware of the tension that was building. Aizen turned to face Byakuya and raised his brow at him quizzically.

"Forgive me, Lord Kuchiki, but it was _my_ understanding that this is _my_ expedition and I am to lead as I see fit," Aizen stated calmly, but the ice that laced his words was not lost on Byakuya. "Or am I wrong and his majesty give _you _authority to lead?"

"On the contrary, Lord Aizen," Byakuya said evenly. "I am merely suggesting the best course of action to take to ensure the success of _your _expedition. I am aware of what it means to you."

Aizen understood the hidden meaning behind Byakuya's words. Byakuya knew that the expedition was Aizen best chance at glory and an easy in into the nobles' inner circle as well as the king's.

"Very well, Lord Kuchiki," Aizen finally said with a deceptively kind smile. "I shall take heed of your advice and you and I will discuss our futures with this tribe's leader."

"Thank you for seeing reason, Aizen," Byakuya said politely. "Sir Kurosaki, may we speak with your chief in private?"

"By all means," Ichigo said, sensing the sincerity in Byakuya's words. "Be warned, he understands English only to certain extent."

"Then we shall use simple words to make ourselves understood," Aizen said kindly. Ichigo and Byakuya were aware that Shinji was being insulted.

Byakuya politely gestured for Shinji to follow him and Aizen and allowed him to have two of his warriors follow if it made him feel safer. Shinji agreed and met with the two lords in Aizen's tent.

"This seems to have gone quite well for you, Mr. Kurosaki," Gin said, grinning at Ichigo. "If you'll allow me, I will take my leave and join Lord Aizen and Lord Kuchiki's meeting."

"It is hardly my place to tell you otherwise," Ichigo said keeping his face impassive.

"Indeed…" Gin said, letting the kindness in his tone drop a bit. "Until we meet again. Good day Lady Kuchiki," he said to Rukia before leaving to join the meeting.

Now that they were alone, Rukia turned her attention to Ichigo.

"Sir Kurosaki, I-"

"Please, Lady Kuchiki," Ichigo said, politely cutting her off. "I am not a noble and don't deserve to be treated like one. Please call me Ichigo," he said with a kind smile.

"Very well then, Ichigo," she said, smiling back. "I just want to thank you for saving my life."

"Your gratitude is appreciated, Lady Kuchiki. How is your ankle by the way?"

"Much better, thank you."

"I'm sorry, I did not have much in the means of mending injuries at the time."

"It's quite alright. My personal maid took care of the rest."

"Then please extend my gratitude to her for curing my patient," Ichigo said with a light laugh. Rukia giggled in response.

"I'll be sure to do that… and then perhaps you could answer some question I have about you and your culture?"

"It would be an honor, my lady, but perhaps another time when tensions have lessened."

"Very well then," she consented. "At least allow me to show you around our settlement."

"As long as you're my escort," he said playfully. "In the meantime…" he turned to Lisa and gestured her to come over.

"My friend Lisa is equally as curious about your culture."

"Hello," Lisa greeted politely. Rukia smiled and nodded towards her.

"Renji, would you mind?" Rukia asked her guardian who had been standing at safe distance since the Vizards arrived.

"M-Me? But I…" he stammered nervously.

"Don't worry, sir," Ichigo said with a friendly smile. "She wouldn't hurt a soul."

Renji looked warily towards Lisa who only smiled back. Finally, with a sigh Renji agreed.

"Treat her kindly, Renji," Rukia warned as they walked off.

"Shall we get started?" she asked, turning back to Ichigo.

"After you," Ichigo said with a grin.

From a concealed observation point, Neliel, Grimmjow, and Nnoitra watched the Vizards and the settlers from the forest. Neliel's attention was on Ichigo and how well he handled the situation. Grimmjow watched Ichigo with a predatory gaze and keeping an eye out for any others worthy of becoming a trophy. Nnoitra just watched with contempt.

'_They want to make peace with these invaders' _he spat_. 'We should slaughter them all!'_

'_You are free to kill whoever you like, but Ichigo is mine!'_ Grimmjow seethed.

'_Perhaps I should kill you first, Grimmjow!'_ the tall Arrancar snapped, pointing his spear at his comrade. _'Who are you to say who I may and may not kill?'_

'_Enough!'_ Neliel shouted, a rare change from her usual soft tone. _'You two are behaving like children!'_

'_You mean you approve of this, Neliel?'_ Nnoitra sneered. _'That boy has poisoned your mind.'_

'_We are Arrancars,' _Grimmjow reminded her._ 'We live and breathe fighting. Peace is for the weak!'_

'_Is it really? Then why have we failed to wipe out the Vizards all these years?' _she asked smartly. _'They live peaceful lives and yet they match our tribe in strength and numbers.'_

Both males were rendered speechless. Though they were both too stubborn and thick-headed to admit it, Neliel was right.

'_Ichigo is the answer,'_ she said confidently, looking back to shore. _'He can save us… all of us.'_

Neliel stared at the Vizard in question on the shore. Grimmjow glanced at her face and noticed a look in her eyes as she gazed at Ichigo. Her eyes held a look of admiration and something else; something like… desire.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note~ I apologize that this took so long. This chapter had undergone a few draft changes until I finally finished it back in early November. I sent it to my beta-reader the day after I finished it, but I never got it back so I finally decided that this couldn't wait anymore. Now here comes some more bad news: I'm honestly not sure which direction to take this story anymore. I will not give up on it by any means, but I will need some time to plan how it proceeds from here. Any suggestions are welcome; they just might get my creative juices flowing.**

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The next day, the Vizards went on about there lives as usual. After Shinji had met with Byakuya and Aizen, the nobles had declared that no action would be taken against the tribes and the construction on the settlement would be postponed until the settlers, the Vizards, and the Arrancars could reach an agreement of some sort. Although, Byakuya and Aizen were curious as to how an agreement could be made with a tribe of people that were prepared to kill them, Ichigo had assured them that he was not without friends amongst the Arrancars.

To make good on his word, Ichigo had wandered into the forest, into Arrancar territory, hoping to find Neliel. He found a clearing and decided to wait for her or Grimmjow to show up, even though he really hoped it was the former.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo heard from behind him. He cursed his luck. Grimmjow had shown up first.

"How did you know I would be here?" Ichigo asked curiously, braced for a fight if needed.

"You are my prey," Grimmjow stated. "You can be sure; I always know where you are."

"Where is Neliel?" Ichigo asked, not in the mood for Grimmjow's behavior.

Grimmjow snorted and started to walk away.

"This way," he said as he headed deeper into the forest.

Ichigo followed him along the bank of the river. Neither said a word as they walked. Ichigo wasn't sure if Grimmjow was taking him to Neliel or if he was taking him to a secluded place where he could finally make good on all his threats. Finally they came to a stop at the edge of a large pond. Grimmjow pointed towards the center of the pond.

"She's there," Grimmjow said simply. Ichigo nodded and walked off to where Grimmjow pointed.

He walked towards the waters edge, but he didn't see any sign of Neliel. Then he noticed the surface of the pond start to bubble. He thought it was a fish until a figure broke the surface. This figure that broke the surface, Ichigo realized that it certainly wasn't a fish, but a woman and not just any woman. Grimmjow had led him to Neliel… while she was bathing.

Ichigo could only watch on entranced as Neliel ran her hands over her wet skin. The pond only reached up just above her waist, but there was still plenty for Ichigo to take in. Her bone fragments that she usually wore on her head were sitting in a pile of her clothing and her weapons not too far from where she was bathing. This gave Ichigo a better look at Neliel's face including the scar the went down the middle of her forehead. Her long, wet hair went down the front of her body, keeping Ichigo from getting a good look at her well-endowed chest; something Ichigo was both disappointed and grateful for.

Not wanting to be impertinent to her privacy, Ichigo looked away and coughed loudly for her to hear. Neliel turned her head and smiled when she noticed Ichigo.

"Good morning," she greeted.

"It is, isn't it?" he asked, keeping his eyes away from her nude form.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, unsure of why he wasn't looking at her.

"Where I come from, looking at woman while she bathes is an act of indecency," he answered.

"Indecency?" she asked with a tilt of her head, the word lost on her.

"It means wrong," Ichigo clarified.

"Do you not look at the women in your tribe while they bathe?" she asked as she reached for her clothes.

"No I do not. It was not the way I was raised."

"Then I will be with you in a moment," she said with a giggle and began dressing.

Ichigo waited patiently and made every attempt to resist looking at the beautiful body he had only got a brief look at. He felt something tap his shoulder and turned to see Neliel, fully dressed and her bone helmet back on her head.

"Does my body displease you?" she asked with a smile.

"That's not it at all," he assured her.

"Why have you come to me, today?"

"Have you spoken to any of your tribesmen about considering peace?"

"Some of them," she answered. "There are those among my tribe that would rather live peacefully, but not enough to influence my chief."

"The settlers have agreed not to take any action until the three of us can resolve this, but we must be swift about, Neliel."

"What should I do?"

"Can you convince your chief that an attack on the settlers would only lead to their slaughter?"

"I think not," she said, shaking her head. "I do not doubt your words, but we Arrancars pride ourselves on being fearless and my chief is too arrogant to think we could be defeated so easily."

"Would it be possible to meet with these other Arrancars?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm not sure of anything, but for you I will try."

"Thank you Neliel," Ichigo said with a smile. "You have really changed my thoughts about the Arrancar since we've met."

"Sometimes I wish I wasn't born an Arrancar," Neliel admitted as she looked off into the distance. "There have been many times, when I wish… I was born a Vizard."

Ichigo looked at her in surprise at this confession.

"I never cared for fighting. I always wanted to live the way your people live; peacefully, not breathing battle." Ichigo nodded in understanding.

"If you were born a Vizard, I'm sure you and I could have been good friends," he said.

"Are we not friends now?"

"We are Neliel," Ichigo assured her. "When we bring peace to these lands, we will no longer have to hide it."

"And then… perhaps afterwards…" she said slowly, her cheeks heating up. "Perhaps you and I could…"

"_Enough of this, Neliel!"_ Grimmjow shouted, stomping his way towards them. He stepped in between them and pushed Ichigo back.

"_Grimmjow! What has gotten into you?_ Neliel demanded.

"_I may be able to stand by and watch you ally yourself with him, but I can see what you're trying to, Neliel!"_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_I see the way you look at him,"_ Grimmjow said coldly.

Neliel went rigid and her face turned red. Grimmjow had seen right through her.

"_This is none of your concern Grimmjow!" _she snapped.

"_It is when you plan to abandon your own tribe because you are foolish enough to think you have feelings for this outsider!"_ Grimmjow shouted at her.

There was a loud smacking sound as Neliel's hand collided with Grimmjow's face. Ichigo watched on in confusion as Neliel glared venomously at Grimmjow. Grimmjow glared at her and then at Ichigo before stomping away from both of them.

"What was that about?" Ichigo asked.

"Nothing," Neliel answered quickly.

Ichigo was very aware that whatever Neliel and Grimmjow had just discussed, it certainly wasn't "nothing", but he was intelligent enough to know not to ask what it was about.

"I had better go after him," she said with a sigh.

"He seems troublesome, not to be disrespectful," Ichigo said with a laugh. A smile returned to Neliel's face and she laughed as well.

"He and I have known each other since we were children," she explained. "He has always been this way; treating me like I know less than I really do."

"I am sure he does it because he cares," Ichigo said evenly.

"Grimmjow cares only for fighting."

"And you. He wouldn't listen to you otherwise," Ichigo pointed out.

Neliel looked thoughtful for a moment before shaking her head.

"I will speak with the other Arrancars Ichigo. Can you meet me again in two days time?"

"Where?"

"Here will do," she said, indicating to the area around them.

"Will I stumble upon you bathing again?" he asked jokingly.

"Perhaps," Neliel said with a giggle.

She stared at him for a moment before doing something Ichigo certainly didn't expect: she kissed him on the cheek. After that she was gone, leaving Ichigo stunned.

Ichigo made his way back to the village still shocked over what Neliel had done. He didn't know why she had done that. He also wondered what it was that Grimmjow had said to Neliel that had her so worked up.

He was broken out of his thoughts when he saw another strange sight. The villagers were huddling around something. Ichigo couldn't see what it was that had gained the interest of the entire village and hurried towards the crowd. On his way there, he ran into Love.

"What's going on here?" Ichigo asked.

"Some of the strangers from the shore wandered into our village," Love answered.

"Who?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"I believe it's the sister of the "noble" you spoke to yesterday."

Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise and he quickly pushed past the crowd. In the center, he found Rukia, Renji and a red-headed girl Rukia had introduced the day before as Orihime. Rukia looked at all the villagers with fascination while Renji seemed tense, and Orihime seemed to be timid.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked incredulously.

"We wanted to see the village," Rukia said with a smile.

"_We_?" Renji asked with a scowl.

"Yes, Renji. _We_; you, Orihime and I," she said as she were explaining it to a simpleton.

"Does your brother know that you are here?" Ichigo asked, bringing her attention back to him.

"Yes!" Rukia answered with an innocent smile. Ichigo looked at her skeptically.

"Perhaps…" she said. Ichigo didn't look convinced.

"No he does not," Renji answered for her.

"Renji!" Rukia shouted irately.

"Lady Kuchiki, I have no desire to anger your brother," Ichigo said as calmly and politely as he could. "You must leave."

"My brother will not be angry," she assured him. "It is not as if I am in any danger is it?"

"No, but it is my wish to be in good standing with Lord Kuchiki and I doubt that you being here without his knowledge is going to aid me in that endeavor," Ichigo said, doing his best to hide the frustration in his voice.

"I am a grown woman, Mr. Kurosaki. I do not need my brother's permission to make my own decisions," Rukia said, her tone serious.

Ichigo sighed and turned to villagers. He spoke in a language that neither of three strangers could understand and after he finished, the villagers all dispersed. Once that was done, he turned his attention back to Rukia.

"So, Ichigo, would you care to give my friends and I a tour?" Rukia asked with an eager grin.

"You and I are going back to the settlement and we are going to apologize to your brother," Ichigo said adamantly. Rukia groaned in annoyance.

"So even the men in the New World fear women that show a little independence?" she asked.

"No, in fact we encourage it," Ichigo rebutted. "Our women are allowed to become one of the chief's warriors if they prove they are capable."

"Then let me stay!" Rukia pleaded. "You will not be blamed for this; I'll tell my brother I came here on my own."

"Lady Kuchiki, had you come here with your brother's consent, I would gladly have satisfied your curiosity," Ichigo stated evenly. "However, if I were to allow you to remain here, I would be insulting the trust your brother has placed in me."

Rukia rolled her eyes and sighed in disappointment, but Ichigo could tell she understood.

"I promise, you Lady Kuchiki, I will show you my village someday," Ichigo said, trying to make her feel better.

Rukia turned her back to him in anger and crossed her arms.

"Don't take it personally," Renji said. "She does this every time she doesn't get her way." He yelped in pain when Rukia's foot slammed into his shin.

"Can you please guide us back to the camp," Orihime asked, fear evident in her face as she looked around the village.

"Miss Inoue, there nothing to be afraid of," Ichigo said with a smile as he led the group towards the woods.

"I-I'm not afraid!" she squealed in embarrassment, though it was an obvious lie.

"If you say so…"Ichigo said.

He turned his attention to Rukia, who was walking a few paces ahead of him. Her eyes were downcast and Ichigo could just barely make out the beginning of a frown on the corner of her lips.

"Lady Kuchiki, if you really want to see my village, then perhaps when we get back you can ask your brother?" Ichigo suggested.

"That will not be necessary."

They all stopped to see Byakuya on horse back walking towards them. He was flanked by two men armed with rifles.

Rukia blanched at the sight of her brother and Ichigo stiffened as well.

"L-Lord Byakuya! I can explain!" Ichigo said uneasily, even though he knew he had no decent explanation to offer.

"Is that so? I would really like to hear it, Ichigo," Byakuya said as he dismounted his horse.

Ichigo opened his mouth, but no words came. Rukia looked at towards him and stepped forward, averting her gaze from her brother.

"It's my fault, Byakuya," she admitted.

"Somehow, I was aware of that before I came looking for you, Rukia" Byakuya said coolly, causing Rukia to flinch slightly.

"She was only curious about the village, Lord Kuchiki," Ichigo said trying to placate the noble.

"No need to explain, Ichigo, I know my sister very well," Byakuya said dismissively. "And… I suppose since there is no danger… there is no harm in her pursuing her curiosity," he said, surprising both Ichigo and Rukia.

"B-Byakuya…?" Rukia asked in confusion.

"I am willing to admit, I am also curious about this village and its people," he said stepping towards Ichigo, his two bodyguards following close by. "Would you care to give us a tour?"

"O-Of course!" Ichigo stammered. "Follow me," he said, turning around and leading them back to the village.

Rukia's frown vanished almost instantly and was replaced by an excited smile. She wasn't sure why her brother did not chide her or force her back to the camp, but she didn't care at the moment; no sense looking a gift horse in the mouth. Renji just groaned and Orihime stared shaking timidly again.

"How many people reside within your village, Ichigo?" Byakuya asked curiously.

"Eighty-three," Ichigo answered.

"And you are able to support them all?" Rukia asked in surprise.

"The spirits are good to us," Ichigo answered with a smile. "They keep us safe and provide for us."

Rukia looked at him, confusion etched on her face.

"What are these "spirits"?" Byakuya asked, voicing her question.

"They are beings that exist all around us," Ichigo explained. "They govern the forest and the earth. We pay homage to them and they aid us in anyway they can."

Before anymore questions could be asked, they found themselves back in the village. Byakuya looked around in interest.

"Well, it certainly does not look as barbaric as people claim it to be," he noted.

"Thank you, Lord Kuchiki," Ichigo said with a smile.

"It's all so fascinating!" Rukia said with a happy smile. Renji only grunted his indifference and Orihime still seemed apprehensive.

"Ichigo?" Byakuya spoke up.

"Yes, my Lord?"

"Would you be so kind as to show my sister around your village?" Byakuya asked politely.

"Err... Are you certain, Lord Kuchiki?"

"Of course, I trust you," Byakuya said calmly. "She will need a guide lest she go wandering around unknown territory like a fool."

Rukia's brow twitched in annoyance.

'_Dammit, I am not some infantile simpleton, Byakuya!'_ she thought angrily.

"I'll be sure to take good care of her then," Ichigo said with a light laugh. "Perhaps I may even help Miss Inoue overcome her fears?"

"As you wish. I myself will take the time to wander and observe. There are people in this village that can speak English, correct?" Byakuya asked.

"Of course. Just look for the ones that carry masks; they can speak English well enough," Ichigo stated.

"Very well. On your leave, Ichigo. Rukia, do your best to stay out of trouble." And with that, the noble walked off with his entourage.

"Well," Ichigo began as he turned towards his group, "where would you like to begin?"

"Oh, I don't know. There are so many things I want to see," Rukia said as she looked around the village excitedly.

"Well, I think first we should introduce you to my family," Ichigo suggested.

"Family?" Rukia queried.

"My sisters. They and I became members of the tribe years ago after our father was killed," Ichigo explained.

"We'd love to meet them," Rukia said with a kind smile. "Lead on."

"Yes Lady Kuchiki," Ichigo said as he walked off towards one hut with the trio in tow.

In a few minutes time, they arrived at a fairly small hut. Ichigo led the around the back and found Karin practicing throwing her knives at the stump behind their home.

"Keep your wrist rigid," Ichigo said from behind her.

Karin let out a surprised yelp and accidentally tossed the knife into the air. The blade spun around in the air until it imbedded itself into the ground just centimeters from Orihime's foot. The red-headed scullery maid let out a frightened shriek and jumped back.

"Oh my, I'm so sor-" she paused when she noticed that Ichigo was flanked by three unknown people. "Ichigo, who are they?"

"Karin, this is Rukia, Renji, and Orihime. They've come to see the village. Everyone, this" he said gesturing to Karin," is my sister, Karin Kurosaki."

"Nice to meet you," Rukia greeted, holding out her hand for Karin.

Karin smiled politely and shook Rukia's hand.

"Is Yuzu here?" Ichigo asked.

"She left to gather food for the feast tonight," Karin said, pointing to a hill not too far from the village.

"Oh that's right!" Ichigo exclaimed. "Would you like to join us?" he asked Rukia and her companions.

"We would love to," she said kindly.

"Great," Ichigo said with a smile. "Karin, you keep practicing while I show our guests around some more."

"Alright," she said and went to pick up her knife at Orihime's feet, muttering another quick apology as she went back to practice.

"I'm sorry about my friend's behavior," Rukia said apologizing for Orihime. "She just needs to see that there is no danger in this place."

"I know someone that may be able to help," Ichigo said as he led them away from his hut.

He brought them towards the western edge of the village where a gathering of children had formed around Hachigen. The village shaman was entertaining the Vizard youths by creating almost life-like animals from the smoke that came from his small fire. Rukia and Renji were impressed while Orihime looked in child-like wonderment.

"Hachigen is our chief's advisor and the village's spiritual guide," Ichigo explained.

"How does he do that? Witchcraft?" Renji asked suspiciously.

"Renji!" Rukia shouted as she stomped on his foot.

"It's amazing!" Orihime exclaimed. All her fears had dissipated and had been replaced by amazement. "Lady Kuchiki may I stay here for a little while longer?"

"Of course, Orihime," Rukia said with a smile.

The redhead let out an excited giggle and sat with the group of children, watching Hachigen intently.

"Well, she seems to have found a reason to be unafraid," Ichigo said with a light chuckle.

"Will she be alright by herself because I would really like to see more," Rukia asked.

"Don't worry, she'll be just fine. Follow me," he said and the continued giving the tour.

He led them past the river bank where a few villagers were fishing. Ichigo stopped when he spotted Lisa in the water. She was bent over and appeared to be in deep concentration. Her hand then shot into the water and she pulled out a writhing trout and then placed it in a rucksack that hung over her shoulder.

"Lisa!" Ichigo called out.

The bespectacled woman looked up from the water and smiled and waved at her fried and comrade. Ichigo walked up to her followed by Renji and Rukia.

"_Why are you gathering the fish?"_ he asked, switching to the Vizard's native language.

"_Because Rose asked me to take his place so he could prepare his songs for tonight,"_ she answered.

Ichigo chuckled lightly and hen turned back to his two settlers.

"Rukia, Renji, you remember Lisa?"

"It is a pleasure to see you gain," Lisa said with a bow.

"The pleasure is mine," Rukia said with curtsy.

Renji only nodded his greeting.

"_This is the man from yesterday?" _Lisa asked.

"_Yes,"_ Ichigo replied.

"_He is very _char-… char-"Lisa stammered, having trouble pronouncing the word.

"Charming?" Ichigo tried.

"_Yes!"_

"Charming?" Renji asked curiously. "Who? Me?"

"Well, I suppose I was wrong Renji," Rukia said with a smirk. "There _is_ a living woman that finds you charming."

Renji's glare bored into Rukia, but she just kept on smirking.

"Anyway," Renji said deciding to change the subject, "why is she doing a man's work?"

"And just what are you implying Renji?" Rukia demanded, his question obviously offending her.

"Our women are more than capable of doing a "man's work", Renji," Ichigo explained patiently. "In fact my sister Karin is training to become one of Chief Hirako's warriors."

"You would trust such tasks to them?" Renji asked, clearly surprised.

"Well, if you think you can do any better, Renji, why don't you show her how it's done," Rukia challenged. "Is that alright with you?" she asked Ichigo.

"It's of no bother to me," Ichigo said with a shrug.

"Fine then," Renji said with a confident smirk.

"Lisa, Renji will be helping you catch fish for tonight's feast," said Ichigo.

Lisa nodded and looked toward Renji.

"Come with me," she said and then led him to the river.

Renji rolled up his sleeves and removed his boots before stepping into the water with a confident smirk on his face.

It didn't take long however before everyone that was present to start laughing. Within the few minutes Renji spent in the water, he slipped and fell about a dozen times. Every fish he caught managed to easily wriggle out of his grasp and one or two even managed to slap him in the face with their tail fins before returning to the water. At the moment, one fish was currently wriggling for an escape out of his shirt after it jumped out his hands and fell in through his loose neckline. Everyone laughed even harder at the dance he was performing as he struggled to remove the fish. He finally managed to do so after he pulled his shirt over his head. However, with shirt temporarily obscuring his vision, he slipped and fell yet again.

Rukia couldn't remember a time when she laughed so hard. Renji on the other hand, had never been so mortified. Lisa helped him up onto his feet and, once she stopped her giggling, showed him the proper way to catch the fish. In order to keep his pride as a man intact, Renji tried again and followed Lisa's instructions very closely. This time and made a perfect catch. Everyone who had been laughing applauded his work. Renji seemed very pleased with himself and ushered Rukia and Ichigo to go without him while he helped Lisa.

Ichigo led Rukia up the hill that Rukia had previously learned was where the crops were farmed. They didn't run into Ichigo's second sister, Yuzu, and Ichigo had assumed that she returned to the village already.

The continued onward long a path outside the village. They came upon a patch of dirt that was covered with wooden carvings of creatures that appeared demonic to Rukia.

"Where are we?" she asked, a little uneasy by the statues.

"This is the Vizard burial grounds," Ichigo explained. "Generations of Vizards have been buried here."

They continued walking until Ichigo stopped in front of a small boulder that was half buried in the earth. A cross made from two sticks sat behind the boulder and a few flowers and baskets filled with handmade trinkets had been placed in the front.

Rukia had noticed that this grave was the only one of it's kind within the burial grounds. She also noticed that Ichigo's eyes had lost some of their light when he looked upon the grave.

"Whose grave is this?" she asked.

"My father's, Isshin Kurosaki," he said, his tone solemn. Rukia gave a light gasp of surprise. "He died on this day. Tonight's feast is in memory of him and everything he did for this village."

"I'm so sorry," she said quickly.

"It's alright. It's been ten years."

"How did he-" Rukia cut her sentence short when she realized that Ichigo may take offence to the question. "I'm sorry, that is none of my business."

"It's alright," Ichigo said with a small smile. Then he took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Years ago, there was a small village not too far from here; my family and I lived there. My father was a man of medicine. He befriended the Vizards after he saved one of their children from a fatal illness. After that we were welcomed here and my father taught the Vizards about medicine and how to speak English. One day, after we delivered some medicinal herbs to the village, we were attacked by the Arrancars on our way back home. They outnumbered us and all my father had was his flintlock rifle to defend us. He told me to take my sisters and run back to village while he stayed behind to fend the Arrancars off. An Arrancar had almost gotten us, but we were saved by the Vizards. They brought us back to the village and sent warriors to find my father…" Ichigo took a pause, the memory of his father's lifeless body still affected him ten years later," but it was too late. In honor of my father's memory, the Vizards made us one of them and took care of us. We buried my father the next day."

Rukia was taken a back by his story. She had lived a sheltered life in London with no worry of danger under the care of her brother-in-law, one of the wealthiest men in the city. And yet this young man before her had lost both his parents and lived most of his life in the woods, where every day there was a chance he may die.

She felt her heart reach out to him and wondered how on earth he could have lived such a life and still seem to smile and carry an air of happiness about him.

"I am sorry for you loss Ichigo, truly I am," she said sympathetically.

"Thank you, but really there is no need for you to be sorry," he said, facing her with a smile. "My father's sacrifice allowed my sisters and I a chance at a new life."

"Do you miss England at all?" she asked curiously.

"Perhaps a little; I was born there after all. But, I'm happy here," he responded with a smile, which Rukia couldn't help but return.

"Hopefully, I will be too."

"You will, Miss Kuchiki, I can guarantee it."

"Well then, shall we return? I would like to see Renji make a fool of himself some more before we eat," she said with a light laugh.

"Very well then," Ichigo said with a chuckle and together, the two of them returned to the village.


End file.
